Dec 09 2011
The federal government has proposed a new rule to govern endangered species listings that seems to make no one happy except, perhaps, a few attorneys and policy wonks. Here’s today’s AP coverage . . . The Obama administration proposed a new rule that would end a practice in which some endangered species were classified differently [...]
Dec 09 2011
Glacier National Park is shifting over to winter mode. The park is not closed by any means; there’s still plenty to see and do. A couple of online publications have excellent articles on Glacier’s winter operations, including fees, activities and facilities. The National Parks Traveler has a very complete write up, whereas the Flathead Beacon [...]
Dec 09 2011
As expected, Montana FWP extended the wolf hunt into next year — not expected was its extension to Feb. 15 . . . Montana on Thursday extended its wolf hunt to Feb. 15 as the number of predators killed so far has fallen far short of the quota of 220 animals. The state’s Fish, Wildlife [...]
Dec 08 2011
This week, Larry starts off with a few word about North Fork curmudgeons. It’s a subject more appropriate to a short book than a short column, but he pulls it off . . . Earlier in November, it looked like it was going to be a long winter. Snow was getting deeper and deeper, temperatures [...]
Dec 06 2011
A good article by Rob Chaney posted recently to the Missoulian . . . As the Rocky Mountain grizzly bear population grows, its managers have encountered something of a vision problem: They’re not sure what success looks like. “We have a pretty good road map on how to recover grizzly bears – reduce mortality and [...]
Dec 06 2011
From the Daily Inter Lake . . . Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has closed wolf hunting in a district covering areas east of Kalispell and in the Swan Valley because the allotted quota was recently met. The quota for District 130 was 12 wolves, and over the weekend the state announced that the quota [...]
Dec 05 2011
From today’s Flathead Beacon . . . Wildlife officials are closing down the gray wolf season in portions of western Montana where hunters have met the state’s annual quota. Officials said hunting in Wolf Management Unit 130 was to end a half-hour after sunset on Monday because the area’s 12-wolf quota has been filled. That [...]
Dec 04 2011
No one who has spent much time on the North Fork will be surprised by the material discussed in this Associated Press article about grizzly bear encounters by inexperienced hikers. However, there is a startling statement near the end that makes the whole article worth reading . . . Officials recommend hikers carry bear spray, [...]
