The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
Sorted by date Results 126 - 150 of 165
MISSOULA – DNA results received Wednesday confirmed the bear killed by wildlife officials last Friday was the same bear who fatally attacked a camper in Ovando early on the morning of July 6. The DNA samples from the bear, saliva sample at the scene of the attack and samples from two chicken coops that were raided in the area all match up. Montana is bear country and recreationists can be bear aware by following some simple guidelines: Carry bear spray and be prepared to u...
Each spring, more than 150 students from schools within the Blackfoot Watershed meet up for a public swan release. This spring may have seen the last swan release for the Blackfoot Watershed. The swan release program is a joint project of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service and the Blackfoot Challenge, according to Elaine Caton, Swan Restoration & Education Coordinator for the Blackfoot Challenge. The program began with a Trumpeter Swan Habitat Suitability Study for...
GREAT FALLS - As air and water temperatures continue to climb, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff urge anglers to use extra care when handling fish during the continuing hot summer days. "Water temperatures have been steadily increasing, and with warm overnight temperatures and no major cool down in sight, we want to remind people how important it is to minimize handling any fish that they intend to release," said Jason Rhoten, FWP fisheries manager in Great Falls. "One...
This is my first report to you all, and I'd like to first express my appreciation for the warm welcome by the community. Thanks for those of you that have stopped by the office and those who have stopped me in the street to introduce yourself. I look forward to meeting more of you in the coming months. I'd like to report out a few key updates and speak to what the Lincoln Ranger District has been working on this past month. The current wildfire activity across Montana and the...
Helmville, Montana (August 5, 2021) - The Montana Department of Transportation and LHC, Inc. will begin construction on MT-141 in Powell County in mid-August. The project begins near the northwest end of Nevada Lake and extends northwest for 12.5 miles ending at the junction of MT-141 and MT 200. The project will improve the roadway and bridges along roughly 12.5 miles of MT-141. Roadway improvements include minor bridge upgrades, crack seal, plant mix overlay, and seal and...
Seeley Lake - The Lolo and Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forests announced Aug. 12 the withdrawal of the North Fork Blackfoot River Indigenous Fish Restoration project decision, which was signed June 2, 2021, to approve a permit authorizing Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to implement the project. Therefore, project implementation will not occur this summer. Instead, the Forest Service will take additional time to further consider public concerns regarding this project. The...
OVANDO - Ovando residents and local agencies hope to spread the word on bear safety in order to avoid incidents similar to the fatal grizzly bear attack that occurred in downtown Ovando in early July. Representatives from Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service held an open house in Ovando Thursday, Aug. 5. There the representatives and residents had a public discussion on what communal and individual methods could be taken towards mitigating...
The Ponderosa Snow Warriors received a new groomer this year, donated by Glen and Marge Kolve. The new groomer belongs to the snowmobile club and will give them access to two groomers during the winter season, which will help the club maintain and potentially increase their funding. "The majority of our funding is tied to groomer hours. The state owns the groomer that we have right now. When Gordy goes out, he gets paid for running on the trail system. We get reimbursed for...
A dead deer near the bridge had drew severalTurkey vultures to the area just north of the Blackfoot River near the Stemple Pass Road Bridge. A quick count revealed at least 15 vultures in a pair of cottonwoods, across the road from the deer carcass, with more perched in the trees to the south of the river. Turkey Vultures are a common sight in the skies around Lincoln and are easily identifiable by their two toned brown and gray wings while soaring. In a nod to their...
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is beginning the biennial hunting regulations review process, and this year the department is looking to take a fresh approach. In the past, the biennial hunting regulation process typically had few changes to the existing regulations. This year, FWP will tackle more significant changes such as combining hunting districts and simplifying license structures, while still keeping focused on statewide wildlife population management goals. "...
Grizzly bears have the potential to be found anywhere in the western two-thirds of Montana (west of Billings), and their distribution is denser and more widespread than in previous years. Some areas with dense concentrations of grizzly bears are very accessible to hunters, especially during the archery season. Keep these precautions in mind when hunting in grizzly country: Carry and know how to use bear spray. Keep it within easy reach and be prepared to use it immediately....
OVANDO – Wildlife officials captured a grizzly bear in the Ovando area on Sept. 2 and relocated it to the north side of the Rattlesnake Wilderness the same day. The bear was captured after it repeatedly returned to an abandoned shed in search of grain and horse food. The 211-pound female grizzly did not have a prior history of conflicts. In fall, bears are increasingly active in preparation for winter denning, and many conflicts involve bears getting into livestock feed and un...
Although most hunters respect the land, property, and wildlife they are hunting, many others do not. FWP would like to remind hunters and all outdoor enthusiasts to be good stewards of the land, and respect both private and public property. Every hunting season, there are reports of vandalizing of Block Management Area (BMA) boxes, hunters driving off road, illegal trespassing, hunters being shot over, littering, and livestock being shot. FWP encourages everyone to be good...
"Ahead was an ocean of rabbit brush bursting with yellow blossoms. The prairie under hoof was lavender in the dimming light." – Sarah Bird, Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen The perennial rubber (or gray) rabbitbrush, or Ericameria nauseosa, is a native species to Montana and can be found locally in the Blackfoot Valley as well as throughout the state. Additionally, the species ranges as far south as Mexico and north into British Columbia. Montana is host to four variants o...
SEELEY LAKE – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are seeking information on a female grizzly bear that was shot and killed in the Woodworth area south of Seeley Lake. The bear was discovered by a local landowner on Sept. 8, south of Woodworth Road on the boundary of the Blackfoot Clearwater Wildlife Management Area. Wildlife officials investigated the scene and determined that the bear had two gunshot wounds and was likely killed sometime d...
The Helena NRCS field office is excited to announce two new programs for private landowners in portions of Lewis and Clark County. Using the county-level long range plans and local interest, staff have developed two new Targeted Implementation Plans or TIP's. The two maps included in this article provide a general boundary for each project one of which is located in the Wolf Creek area, the other near Dalton Mountain Road. Staff at the Helena NRCS office are available to...
International Bat Week is celebrated annually on the last week of October, from the 24-31. Organized by Bat Conservation International and in partnership with groups like Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the event is meant to highlight the need for bat conservation and demonstrate the important role bats play in the ecosystem and economy. Bats belong to the order Chiroptera and are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. There are over 900 species of bats, acco...
Bear activity in Lincoln has been picking up recently as bears looking for as much food as they can find ahead of hibernation ahead of hibernation are finding unsecured garbage and other attractants in town Last week saw some significant bear activity ln Lincoln's west side, with several bear sightings and encounters on the south and west edges of town, areas that are close to the Blackfoot River and the wetlands southwest of town. According to Facebook posts last Wednesday,...
LINCOLN, Oct. 19 - This week, a final decision was signed for the Hogum project that will authorize the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest to conduct 2,451 acres of treatments, including prescribed burning, about nine miles east of the Lincoln community near Flesher Pass. "This project is directly aligned with county, state, and federal goals of reducing fuel loading near communities," said Lincoln District Ranger Rob Gump. "I'd like to thank those in the community that...
LINCOLN (Oct. 27, 2021) -The Lincoln Ranger District of the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest is preparing to conduct fall prescribed burning in the areas of Ogden Mountain, Poorman Creek, Marsh Creek, and Flesher Pass. Burning would not begin until weather and fuel conditions allow and will continue into mid-winter. Pile burning is planned along Marsh Creek Road, West Flesher Road and along the Continental Divide Trail from Flesher Pass Trailhead to Stemple Pass. This wo...
MISSOULA – Deer and elk harvest reported at the hunter check stations near Darby, Anaconda, Bonner, and Fish Creek sit below the five-year average as snow depths remain low and temperatures mild. Just under two weeks remain in Montana's general big game hunting season, which closes on November 28. Over the first four weekends of the season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks staff tallied 6,947 hunter trips through the Anaconda, Bonner, Darby and Fish Creek check stations c...
The end of October means it is time to give you the quarterly update from the Lincoln Ranger District. I'm sure you all had a busy summer and fall. The staff at the District did as well, and I'd like to take some time to hit the highlights for you. Fire season was once again incredibly busy for most of our folks, especially our primary firefighters. We were quite fortunate not to have any large fires on the District. Your local fire crews responded to six fires, including an...
HELENA, Oct. 29 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has released the revised Helena–Lewis and Clark National Forest Land Management Plan and final environmental impact statement. "This plan is the culmination of seven years of public engagement, community involvement, analysis and coordination with our partners," said Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest Supervisor Bill Avey. "I am very thankful for the members of our communities who spoke up and got inv...
MISSOULA – The 2021 general big game hunting season closed Sunday, Nov. 28, with the four west-central Montana wildlife check stations reporting overall hunter activity and harvest totals down just slightly from last season, despite extra mild November weather. In the six weekends of the season, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks operated wildlife check stations in four locations around west-central Montana, where biologists recorded 10,216 hunter stops and a harvest of 192 e...
The Thanksgiving holiday is commonly associated with food, and while turkey is often the main dish, cranberries, Vaccinium macrocarpon, are a complimentary side. Cranberries grow in extremely precise conditions, needing wetland bogs to thrive. Bogs are found in cooler northern climates and often develop in lake basins created by glaciers, according to the National Geographic Society. Bogs tend to be oxygen and nutrient poor, making them uninhabitable for many plant species,...
