Griz gone wild

As northwest Montana griz frantically fatten up for winter, they're getting into a fair share of trouble.

While traveling through Columbia Falls last weekend en route to a float on the Middle Fork Flathead River, we passed a bear cage being transported the other way, out of the mountains. Might have just released that bear in the South Fork.

Griz claim elk

Grizzlies have moved in on elk left on the ground overnight by hunters, resulting in closures in some areas of southwest Montana. One hunter was mauled by a bear last week, but in that case the hunter accidentally startled a sow with cubs.

Bluetongue hits deer, pronghorn

Bluetongue disease is killing pronghorn in southeastern Montana, and may be the cause of whitetail deaths as well.

Good news for private-land access

A recent survey by the Montana Wildlife Federation demonstrates the willingness of private landowners to allow access for hunting and fishing. It's up to us to exercise this privilege with respect for the landowners. That means keep your vehicles on roads, pack out your trash, hunt ethically, and simply, treat the place as if it were your own. No, treat it better than if it were your own.

Ecology of fire

The Bitterroot National Forest has established a new auto tour of the infamous Lick Creek site. A series of historical photos taken at Lick Creek indicates that forests in the area may have been more open during the pre-European settlement era than they are today. Logging and fire suppression are considered the prime culprits, and restorative thinning projects followed by a regime of controlled burns is the cure.

The Lick Creek example has been used across the west by those advocating restoration forestry. Unfortunately, the photos don't tell the whole story. The original photos, taken in 1909, apparently show the forest after a logging project. So maybe the presettlement forest wasn't as open as we believe.

By the way, we are supporters of restoration forestry here at www.mthookandbullet.com. But we also think restoration advocates sometimes stretch the truth about how open presettlement forests really were. For instance, in Arizona restoration advocates sometimes make their point with dubious claims such as pioneers being able to ride their wagons from New Mexico to Flagstaff as the pine forests of the Arizona highlands were so open. They also sometimes exaggerate the ecological harm of stand replacement fires. Yeah, some areas get burnt to a crisp. But its rarely an across-the-forest catastrophe. Even the Rodeo-Chediski Fire in Arizona in 2002, which burned 462,614 acres and was the largest in that state's history, left a mosaic of conditions on the ground following the blaze. And mosaics, not continuous stands of old yellow-barked ponderosas, leads to biodiversity.

By the way, we think restoration opponents are just as likely to exaggerate the ill-effects of thinning projects. We'll take that point up some other time.

Fishery threatened by development

State officials admit they don't have the resources to measure the cumulative impact of growth on the fishery at Georgetown Lake. As development crowds the shoreline of this popular southwest Montana fishing hole, more septic systems leak into the lake. The nutrients from the wastewater fuel algae blooms, which choke off oxygen and kill fish.

Fish aren't the only wildlife threatened by lakeside development. The Montana Standard also takes a look at the history of the area, both before and after Georgetown Lake was created.

Front Range opens up

Some fire-related closures on the Rocky Mountain Front have been lifted as the fire season winds down.

Hunting Huns

Outdoor writer Ben O. Williams shares some thoughts on hunting Huns in Montana.

Griz killed in Bitterroot

A bear hunter mistakenly killed a griz on the Idaho side of the Bitterroot range during Labor Day weekend.

Biologists are reporting more confirmations of griz using this country where they have been considered extirpated for decades.

Bull trout blues

Lake trout are in the process of destroying another Montana bull trout fishery, this time in Swan Lake.

Baucus vows mine fight

Montana Sen. Max Baucus has promised British Petroleum Co. a “a massive and unpleasant fight from Montana” if it pursues plans for coalbed methane development in the Canadian Flathead north of Glacier National Park.

Bears on the move

Griz on the Rocky Mountain Front are fattening up before winter, and are on the move. Bird and archery hunters in the region should be extra cautious. The bears have entered into the pre-hibernation phase called hyperphagia, where they eat as much as three times their normal intake.

Bird hunting here

The upland bird and archery big game seasons are upon us. My interest lies more toward the bird hunting side of things, and I took me setter Jack out to Ninepipes Wildlife Refuge last week on an early season tuneup. We were primarily scouting for the pheasant opener, with faint hopes of scaring up covey or two of Huns while we were out. The Huns were a no show, but Jack put plenty of pheasants in the air.

Here's the link to Montana FWP's bird hunting planner.

Fires slow, for now

Cooler weather and rain calmed fires in western Montana this week, allowing skies to clear. That made breathing easier after a few weeks of smoke-filled air.

But things may heat up again by the end of the week.

Poker Joe access fight going to court

Landowners near the Poker Joe access site on the Bitterroot River south of Florence are again threatening to block the road. Fish, Wildlife and Parks promises to take the landowners to court to defend public use of this right-of-way.

Landowners complain that they've been subjected to a recent round of vandalism. That stinks and we hope those responsible are caught and pay for their crime. But the answer to the problem isn't taking something — in this case the right to use a public right-of-way — that doesn't belong to the landowners. When the government does something like that it's called a "takings" by the property-rights crowd. It's no different when private interests take something that belongs to all citizens.

In this case, FWP is simply protecting the public property rights of all Montanans.

More mine opposition

It seems Lake County Democrats are no big fans of BP's plans to explore for coal in the Canadian Flathead. It's time for south-of-the-border GOP leaders to follow the lead of Lake County Dems. The Flathead River system is too precious to leave its future in the hands of big oil.

Good news, bad news

Cooler weather has eased the strain on some Montana rivers, while Fish, Wildlife and Parks is increasing restrictions on others.

Sign of success

Buying a wolf tag won't be on my fall shopping list anytime soon, but the fact that state officials are planning for wolf hunts in Montana in 2008 is nothing short of miraculous. When I first move to Montana in 1992 there were only a handle of wolves (mostly expat Canadians) roaming the state. Reintroduction was barely a decade ago. And now its fair to say the species is recovered in the state.

It will take diligence to keep it that way, but letting hunters kill a few wolves won't make a difference. And it will probably help on the PR front. Remember friends of the wolf, hunting was always part of the bargain when the program was sold to the public.

Montana TU pans Flathead mine

Montana Trout Unlimited adds its voice to the mounting opposition to a Canadian coal mine in the headwaters of the Flathead River. Runoff from the mine could be disastrous to this pristine watershed.

Studies have shown that trout in the Flathead system from as far as Flathead Lake migrate upstream to Canada to spawn in tributaries of the North Fork Flathead River.

Politically incorrect

We applaud Bayern Brewery's commitment to trout conservation, but we're also glad Big Sky Brewery has put the Trout Slayer brand back on the shelves. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Catch-and-release is our standard practice, but there's nothing wrong with slaying a trout destined for the frying pan from time to time.

Note to Big Sky: Now put it in cans so we can pack some along while we float.

Senator sounds off on access

Montana's junior U.S. senator, Jon Tester, weighed in in support of stream access for hunters and anglers in a recent widely circulated column this week. Tester's support for mainstream Montana values — which includes vigorous support for public access to rivers and public lands — is one of the key reasons he upset incumbent Republican Conrad Burns last fall.

Stream access has become a major problem for Montana's GOP. Their allegence to the afluent has left them siding with a few wealthy landowners against rank-and-file Montanans who regard stream access as a sacred trust. It's kind of become a jump-the-shark moment for "anti-regulation" Republicans. They'd rather defend their philosophy of opposing government actions (such as enforcing its Stream Access Law) than defend the interests of the citizens they are supposed to represent. That's not all members of the GOP mind you, but enough to foul the waters for the entire party.

Dry as a bone

Fire conditions in western Montana couldn't be much worse.

Rivers closed to fishing

More bad news on Montana waters, as Fish, Wildlife and Parks moves to close rivers to fishing to protect wild trout. See the story here and here.

Firehole fish kill

High temps are killing fish in the Firehole river in Yellowstone NP. Let's hope this isn't a sign to come for Montana rivers, though I'm not optimistic.

Check the latest conditions on Montana rivers here.

Sign of the times

Residents of Georgetown Lake are fighting a subdivision that will increase the housing density along the lake shore.

Go for it, MWF

Montana Wildlife Federation officials are contemplating a ballot initiative that would affirm once and for all the public right to use highway easements to access rivers at bridge crossings.

The legislature's failure to pass such a law in either the 2005 or 2007 sessions — combined with the intransigence of the Montana Stockgrowers Association, which isn't helping its membership one bit by continuing to stick a finger in the eye of Montana hunters and anglers on this issue — may mean it's time to bypass Helena. Such an initiative would easily pass, I predict.

Cabela's peddling Montana lands?

Advocates for Montana hunters and anglers are returning their catalogs to Cabela's on news that the sporting goods manufacturer has been involved in the sale of wildlife habitat in the state through its Trophy Properties Web site.

The concern is that Cabela's brokering service is fueling the increase in land prices that may put valuable lands out of reach for the state of Montana. On example is the 10,000-acre Lincoln Ranch along the Marias River in north-central Montana. The ranch was donated to the Catholic Church by the landowner when he died in March, with the condition that if the church sells the property, the state has right of first refusal. But with Cabela's Trophy Properties involved, the price could escalate to the point that the state couldn't afford the site, and instead becoming public land for hunting and fishing, the ranch will fall into the hands of wealthy, out-of-state owners who will post it off limits to the public.

The business of restoration

Business is booming for outfits that restore degraded landscapes, rather than degrade the pristine. Now if we could just stop creating new business for these entrepreneurs.

Canada important to Flathead trout

A new study indicates the Canadian headwaters of the Flathead River are important to Flathead trout. Cutthroat trout fitted with transmitters near Columbia Falls were recorded north of the border spawning in the North Fork. Bull trout also cross the border to spawn, just downstream from a proposed mine site.

Washington donates Smith River land

Dennis Washington has donated 250 acres of land along the Smith River to the state. The Smith is one of Montana's great floats.

Rivers running dry

The latest stream flow forecast looks pretty bleak.

Better bison fix

State and Park service crews will capture and transport the bison remaining outside Yellowstone National Park, rather than slaughter them. That's a far better idea than the previous plan, which included the slaughter of about 300 bison, including many newborn calves. That would have been a PR disaster of epic proportions.

Salmon fly frenzy begins

Here's an update on the salmon fly hatch, which is starting to pick up on southwest Montana rivers.

Cool, wet weather has brought up the level on some Montana rivers this week. For current info, contact the following fly shops:

Sunrise Fly Shop (Big Hole River)
406-835-3474 or www.sunriseflyshop.net

Madison River Fishing Company
800-227-7127 or www.mrfc.com

Rock Creek Mercantile
406-825-6440 or www.rcmerc.com

Fishaus Fly Fishing (Bitterroot River)
406-363-6158 or www.fishaus.montana.com

Chuck Stranahan's Flies and Guides (Bitterroot River)
406-363-4197 or www.chuck-stranahan.com

Check here for current stream conditions.

Trout Slayer killed

In a disappointing move Bayern Brewing in Missoula is changing the name of Trout Slayer Ale to Dancing Trout Ale. The recipe remains the same, but the name will now be politically correct. Master brewer Juergen Knoeller explains in today's Missoulian

Trout Slayer was a leased name, and it wasn't Knoeller's “cup of tea” anyway, he said, explaining that his environmental philosophies lean more toward trout habitat preservation than wholesale fish slaughter.

I'm all for catch-and-release fishing on Montana rivers. But there is nothing wrong with the occasional slaying of a fish destined for the skillet. I prefer mine lightly dusted in seasoned flour and fried in a mix of peanut oil and butter. There are times when I worry the catch-and-release ethic has turned into a cult whose members have forgotten a basic fact: fishing is a form of hunting which uses flies and lures instead of hot lead to capture its prey. The modern fly fishing cultist who fails to clunk a fish on the head every now and then may not be an angler at all. It sounds more like golfing in waders to me.

Griz delisting challenged

A coalition of environmental groups has challenged the Fed's decision to delist Yellowstone grizzlies. Other griz populations such as those in Glacier and the Yaak retain ESA protection.

Grayling on the brink

The implications of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service decision that Big Hole River grayling aren't distinct enough to warrant Endangered Species Act protection are examined in this Missoulian article.

The decision was made by former FWS Assistant Secretary Julie MacDonald, a somewhat typical Bush administration appointee in that she was later forced to resign when it was revealed that she bullied scientists into changing their conclusions and improperly released internal documents to industry representatives.

Photog didn't see bear

More details emerge in the Yellowstone griz attack. The author/photographer suffered serious injuries from the attack. Officials have no plans to go after the bear, which is the right thing.

Bison to be killed

This may be more of an ag story rather than a hunting issue, but the fallout from the continued brucellosis/Yellowstone bison controversy has implications for Montana hunters. Non-hunters may not get the distinction between hunting and animal control killing to manage disease. In any case, buffalo hunts in Montana will remain controversial.

Mauled photographer speaks

The photographer attacked by a grizzly sow last week in Yellowstone has recovered to the point that he has begun describing the incident.

According to reports, Jim Cole, of Bozeman, was not photographing the bear before it attacked. Cole was mauled by a griz once before, in Glacier National Park in 1993.

Access solution

Conflicts involving river access will only increase in the future (unfortunately). So it's nice to read about solutions from time to time.

War on the Bighorn?

Montana's battle with Wyoming over river flows is getting serious.

The liberal case for gun rights

The Second Amendment debate is often cast in terms of liberals (pro gun-control) versus conservative (pro gun rights). I've long believed that framework was misleading, as the right to arm oneself is clearly a liberal position when we look at the classic definitions of liberal and conservative. Classic political philosophy suggests the support of individual rights is a liberal perspective, while the conservative position supports the authority of political institutions.

So from the classic political perspective (and least as I can best recall it from my undergrad days at U.C. Riverside studying poli sci long ago) both pro-choice and pro gun rights are liberal positions that uphold the rights of the individual, while anti-choice and anti gun rights positions are conservative in that they affirm the authority of political institutions to limit individual rights.

An any case, the modern liberal can't simultaneously hold an expansive interpretation of the First Amendment, or other elements of the Bill of Rights, and then become strict constructionists when reading the awkwardly worded Second Amendment. This story in the New York Times illustrates that point.

Weighing in on Mitchell Slough

Here's a column I wrote for Writers on the Range, which is syndicated by High Country News, on the access fight on Mitchell Slough in the Bitterroot Valley.

The implications here are big. If the landowners are successful in getting the Montana Supreme Court to allow a terrible District Court decision blocking public access to stand, expect No Trespassing signs to sprout along the side channels of Montana rivers like dandelions in May.

High water

Traveling to the Bitterroot, where I plan to work as a fly fishing guide this summer, has kept me away from the news. But recent high water — the Bitterroot is flowing at more than 2,800 cfs, or "much above normal" according to the USGS river gauge at Darby — has pretty much put the crimps on fishing for now. I'll try to catch up before the river goes down and the fishing picks back up.

Bears off list

A Fish and Wildlife official predicts delisting of Yellowstone griz will have little impact on management.

Is GOP for or against stream access?

Billings legislator calls out House GOP for blocking Stream Access bill.

Access fight continues in House

GOP legislators and the Montana Stockgrowers Association are balking at the Stream Access Bill amended into a bridge repair bill by Gov. Brian Schweitzer this week.

GOP leaders say access needs two years of study. The governor says that's a diversion.

TU protects Front

Trout Unlimited has picked up additional oil and gas leases, protecting the Rocky Mountain Front from energy development.

Hunters and anglers fund wildlife

Montana collects share of Pittman-Robertson funds, to the tune of $16 million.

Governor revives access bill

Gov. Brian Schweitzer revived the Stream Access bill this week, amending a bill that would increase funding for bridge repair.

The governor said if the state was fixing the bridges, citizens better have access.

“My proposed amendment would ensure that expenditures of money from the county road and bridge capital improvement fund are spent on county roads and bridges that are in compliance with Montana law as it concerns the public’s right of access to Montana’s rivers and streams,” Schweitzer wrote in his amendatory veto letter.

House kills access bill

A House committee tabled the Stream Access Bill Tuesday after a number of amendments that would have limited access were added to the bill.

The battle to clarify laws for stream access at bridge crossings continues.

No joke

The Bitterroot River skwala hatch is finally taking off. On April Fool's Day, Bill Watt, of Flagstaff, Ariz., caught this 18-inch rainbow on a dry fly of his own creation. He was floating south of Darby, and boated more than a half dozen fish, all 15 inches or better.

Wolf problem in Yellowstone?

Are wolves, drought or hunters the cause of Yellowstone's elk population decline?

Check your bilge

Montanan boaters are reminded to check their boats for invasive species.

TU backs off on access

Good news for Montana Trout Unlimited.

Montanans applied the pressure on national TU to get the organization to back off it's access proposal.

Bill would toughen poaching penalties

Sen. Larry Jent, D-Bozeman, has introduced three bills that would stiffen penalties faced by miscreants who poach in Montana.

The bills would make some poaching violations felonies, and allow FWP to hire more game wardens.

Feds propose delisting Yellowstone griz

Interior officials announced they want to remove Yellowstone's 500 or so grizzly bears from the endangered species list. The population is up from 136 to 312 bears when first listed in 1975. The bears also occupy 48 percent more habitat than at the time of listing.

House committee cuts Access Montana

A House committee has cut Gov. Brian Schweitzer's proposed budget for Access Montana from $15 million to $5.5 million.

FWP uses Access Montana funds to establish parks and fishing access sites.

Senators recover funding for Plum Creek land

Sens. Baucus and Tester have lined up $8 million to buy Plum Creek lands in the Blackfoot and Swan valleys.

Bitterroot access dispute settled

FWP and adjacent landowners settled their dispute over access at the Poker Joe river access site on the Bitterroot River.

Bighorn River flows

The Feds recommend minimum flows of 2,000 cfs in the Bighorn River this summer. Sen. Max Baucus wants a minimum of 2,500 cfs.

Unfortunately, there may not be enough water to meet either target.

Ruby River access fight simmers on

A Ruby Valley landowner has counter sued to block sportsmen and women from using county road right of ways at bridge crossings as river access points.

Bison battles

Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Rep. Denny Rehberg testify at a congressional hearing in Washington D.C. on bison management.

Flathead subdivision regs challenged

Biologists blast proposed subdivision regulations in Flathead County, saying conservation of wildlife habitat and protection of water quality "won't happen" under the plan.

Stuff it

Taxidermist convention comes to Missoula.

Bitterroot trout looking up

The skwala hatch got off to a slow start on the Bitterroot River last week. Cameron Watson caught this 18-inch cutthroat last Friday on a dry fly. But river flows shot up and down in the last week, putting trout in a funk.

Things may perk up next week if the river stabilizes.

TU to abandon access?

Trout Unlimited is considering a proposal that would prohibit local chapters and state councils from getting involved in stream access issues.

Montana TU has been actively involved in pushing Senate Bill 78, the Stream Access Partnership Bill, which was passed by the Montana Senate and awaits action in the House.

Wolves on the increase

Wolf numbers in Montana and the Northern Rockies continues to grow. Montana's wolf population is relatively stable compared to expanding populations in Wyoming and Idaho, however.

Snows arrive early

Snow geese are flocking to Freezeout Lake on their way to northern breeding grounds.

Mighty wind

A wind farm is planned for Norris Hill, about 12 miles north of Ennis.

Besides the obvious benefit of renewable energy, developers have said that these modern windmills spin slower than older models, so birds can see the blades and avoid a whirl in the food processor.

Bird mortality has been one of the primary arguments against wind-generated power.

Bitterroot River setbacks

Ravalli County commissioners are considering a committee that will make recommendations to the county planning department regarding building setbacks along Bitterroot Valley waterways.

So far there are 17 proposed members, but hunting and angling groups argue there should also be representation from Trout Unlimited, the Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association and other conservation groups.

Real estate and farming groups have already been included in the list of 17 representatives.

Flathead River funding still alive

A Columbia Falls lawmaker has kept alive funding for ongoing studies of the North Fork of the Flathead River. The North Fork is threatened by a proposed coal mine near its headwaters in Canada.

Fixing the spring

Trout Unlimited teams with a Paradise Valley landowner to restore portions of Armstrong Spring Creek which were damaged by flooding in the mid-1990s.

The creek is on private land which charges a rod fee to anglers, but is important spawning habitat for Yellowstone River trout.

March heatwave

While the warmer weather is nice, the Pineapple Express doesn't help Montana's snowpack. And the wind just sucks.

Ten Montana cities registered new record high temperatures on Monday.

Fishing for dollars

Mack Days is about to begin on Flathead Lake.

Dam debate

Wyoming and Montana continue to fight about water in Bighorn Lake and the Bighorn River downstream. The river is one of the best trout fisheries in eastern Montana. Wyoming residents want to keep water in the lake, while Montanans want to maintain flows in the river to protect the fishery there.

Access fight

Powell County goes to bat for citizens who want to keep Carten Creek Road open to the public. According to court documents, hunters and loggers have used the road for years to access BLM and state lands. Private property owners in the area want the road closed to the public.

Roadless debate motors on

Supporters of motorized recreation will rally in Missoula on Saturday against road closures in proposed wilderness areas.

Bears get busy

Yellowstone grizzly bears are beginning to stir. But griz on the Rocky Mountain Front seem to be sleeping in.

Sheep wars

Here's an interesting article from Great Falls Tribune outdoors editor Michael Babcock examining bighorn sheep management in Montana. The story takes a look at FWP's policy of relocating sheep from Montana herds that have grown beyond the department's population targets.

The story raises some important questions.

When sheep are relocated to other states trying to reestablish sheep populations, does that result in fewer bighorn hunting opportunities for Montanans? Or, are those herds likely to suffer die offs if the animals are not captured? Bighorns are notoriously susceptible to disease. If range conditions deteriorate due to over browsing by the critters, that problem is magnified. If Montanans want to control those populations through hunting, are there enough sheep hunters out there willing to pass on big rams to kill ewes? Breeding-age females are the biologically critical animals in population control. If you want to reduce a population you have to target females.

FWP budget in limbo

The budget of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is just one of the hands being played in the high-stakes poker game under way in Helena. Gov. Brian Schweitzer proposed a budget that would have funded 20 new positions for FWP. But as you probably know, the GOP controlled House killed Schweitzer's budget bill and replaced it with its own plan, which cut the governor's proposed spending increases and broke the bill up into six separate bills.

The GOP budget cuts Schweitzer's spending increase by $10.4 million, leaving room for about four new hires. Like the departments of Environmental Quality and Natural Resources and Conservation, "natural resource" agencies including FWP have not fared well in the House. A senate GOP leader says the party is unlikely to compromise on funding for these agencies.

Hunters may control elk in North Dakota NP

Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., has introduced legislation to give hunters, rather than sharp shooters, the chance to hunt elk in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. There are 750-900 elk in the park, with habitat enough to support a herd of 360.

It's a good idea. Let's hope Park officials give hunters a chance.

Snowpack gains in February

Montana snowpack is still below average, at 87 percent statewide, but grew by 7 percent in February. Still, with temperatures in the 60s in Missoula this week, there's no guarantee the water will still be there when we, and the fish, need it.

Sprawl in Madison Valley hurts wildlife

Not that this is any surprise. Another story published in January in the Montana Standard shows how sprawl hurts taxpayers in the wallet as well.

PCBs detected again in hatchery trout

Problems with PCBs continue to plague FWP fish hatchery in Lewistown.