The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
Sorted by date Results 151 - 165 of 165
HELENA - From the early-season Pasqueflower and Yellow Bells to the mid-season Arrowleaf Balsamroot, wildflowers are in bloom across central Montana! In partnership with the Montana Discovery Foundation, City of Helena, Prickly Pear Land Trust, and Montana Native Plant Society, folks will be able to participate in a free wildflower self-guided tour on the north side of Mount Helena from May 13-31. "This is our 20th year of partnering with local agencies and organizations to...
A female bluebird carries a beakful of grass to a birdhouse along Stemple Pass Road. The bluebird first landed on the wire next to birdhouse to watch for barn swallows that had been buzzing the area. Swallows are known to harass bluebirds and take over the birdhouses....
Lincoln was awash in off-highway vehicles last weekend as people took advantage of nice weather and back to back rides here during the long Memorial Day weekend. The weekend kicked off with the annual Memorial Day Weekend ATV Fun Run, hosted this year by Bushwackers. The Fun Run, which traditionally has served as the first major event of the summer season, was complemented this year by a new event: the Blackfoot Valley Optimist's Scavenger Hunt. The idea for the scavenger...
GREAT FALLS -Sara Mayben will serve as acting forest supervisor for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest while Bill Avey, the current forest supervisor, temporarily serves as the national fire and aviation director of the USDA Forest Service. The transition took place June 1. "There are inherent dynamic tensions in how we manage the Forest for visitors, resources, and fires and I am confident in Sara's ability to find balance," said Forest Supervisor Bill Avey. "Sara is...
AVON – Wildlife officials euthanized a male grizzly bear on May 24 in the Ophir Creek area northeast of Avon. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wildlife specialists said the bear had been in the area consistently for the past month and killed several cows on a local ranch earlier this week. The most recent cattle depredation was confirmed on May 23, and USDA Wildlife Services crews set traps on the site that evening. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service made the decision to have t...
When unusual weather occurrences happen, like snow storms in late May, it can alter the migratory paths of wildlife, and species may be found in places it is uncommon for them to be. Among birds, this is sometimes referred to as an irruption, where one or more species moves south out of their normal ranges in search of food. As happened in Lincoln this spring, birds may also be seen at lower elevations than their normal ranges. A few varieties of birds that aren't usually...
Missoula – Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is asking for help from the public in reporting snapping turtle sightings in west-central Montana. In Montana, snapping turtles are a native species east of the continental divide, but they are non-native west of the divide and can cause significant harm to native populations of pond- dwelling species like frogs, turtles, snakes, ducks, and fish. Snapping turtles likely end up in waterways in western Montana through illegal r...
HELENA – Hunters interested in participating in game damage hunt opportunities need to register online for the Hunt Roster beginning Tuesday, June 15, through MyFWP. The roster is used by Fish, Wildlife & Parks to quickly respond to landowners who are eligible for game damage assistance in the prevention or reduction of property or crop damage primarily caused by deer, elk and/or antelope. To register, hunters can log into their MyFWP account or click "look up draw results, re...
With the celebration of Mother's Day in May and Father's Day in June, Lincoln residents can look forward to the birth of ungulate babies during those same months. White-tailed deer, elk, and moose, which all range in the Lincoln area, give birth to fawns and calves in late May and early June. Deer fawns and elk calves are both born with spots, while moose calves are solid-colored at birth. The Montana range of white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, covers the entire state...
"There's a lot going on, for sure, but I'm excited," Rob Gump, the new Lincoln District Ranger, told the BVD last Wednesday. Gump, a U.S. Forest Service veteran, took over from Acting Ranger Tory Kendrick last week and is still settling into the job, and he's looking forward to getting to know both the district and the community of Lincoln. "Lincoln is...from the Forest Service side, a quintessential district. It's that place that has all those things you really enjoy working...
FWP keeps traps in Ovando area, more details released OVANDO – After two days of searching by helicopter and on the ground, the grizzly bear that killed a woman Tuesday morning has not been found. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks bear specialists and wardens are continuing to monitor culvert traps set in the area. The search even included the use of infrared technology from Two Bear Air Rescue out of Kalispell, but efforts to find the bear are now focusing on traps near O...
OVANDO –The long Fourth of July weekend came to a tragic end early Tuesday morning after a grizzly bear attacked and killed an adult female cyclist who was camping in downtown Ovando near the Brand Bar Museum. Powell County Sheriff Gavin Roselles said his office received word of the attack at one of the in-town campsites at 3:30 a.m. Roselles couldn't provide detailed information about the victim, pending notification of her family, but confirmed she was traveling with o...
A young grizzly bear spotted in Lincoln Sunday afternoon caused some alarm on social media, but it apparently headed back to the Blackfoot River without incident. A Facebook post by Brandi Langlois indicated the bear had crossed her yard on Meadow Street on the west side of Lincoln and was headed toward town. Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse attempted to locate the bear, but it had apparently gotten spooked and headed back south to the Blackfoot River without making its way into...
OVANDO – Wildlife officials shot and killed a grizzly bear early Friday morning less than two miles from Ovando, where a woman was killed in a grizzly bear attack early Tuesday morning. The bear was killed at the scene of a second chicken coop raid that was very similar in nature to the one that happened in Ovando the night of the fatal attack. Given the proximity to Tuesday's attack, the evidence found at the scenes and the fact another chicken coop was raided, Montana Fish,...
Lincoln District Ranger Rob Gump addressed the dry conditions on the Lincoln Ranger District during Lincoln Government Day July 2 (see story Stage 1 Fire Restriction story), but also covered several other topics of concern to the Lincoln area, including conversations with the Lincoln Prosperity Proposal, noting that he was excited about opportunities for community funding. "I like to have that community connection where we're working with partners to figure out how to take car...
