This cover shot was taken by Donald M. Jones.
Full January-February Issue
Visions of What Once Was and May Be Again: Montana’s wildlife art legacy captures the state’s untamed heritage and inspires contemporary audiences to recover what has been lost. Read more >>
Building a Better Bear Trap: Webcams, temperature sensors, and satellite technology allow FWP biologists to see and monitor what’s in a culvert trap many miles away. Read more >>
How a Great Place Was Saved: Montana, British Columbia, Canada, and the United States work out a remarkable deal that protects the pristine North Fork of the Flathead region. Read more >>
Love Birds: Spectacular courtship displays of 12 Montana species. Read more >>
Shining a Light on Moose: Are these popular big game animals disappearing from parts of Montana? FWP research biologists search for better ways to track population trends while learning what causes the large, long-legged forest dwellers to die. Read more >>
The Flip Side of Floods: Though a curse to river towns and nearby farms, high water like that in 2011 can be a blessing for fish populations and aquatic ecosystems. Read more >>
Aiming for 86: Each in his own way, a schoolboy and a retiree are trying to catch as many of Montana’s different fish species as possible. Read more >>
The River that Does It All: Despite booming residential development and growing angling pressure, the Bitterroot continues to provide superb trout fishing while maintaining pristine coldwater habitat for imperiled native fish. How long can that last? Read more >>
The Water Is Up, and Peck Is Back: When water filled Fort Peck last year and flooded its shorelines, a storehouse of nutrients washed into the reservoir. That triggered an ecological chain reaction, creating some of the best fishing in years for walleye, northern pike, smallmouth bass, and other species. Read more >>
High-Altitude Trout: What backpackers and hikers have discovered about the state’s fish-rich alpine lakes. Read more >>
Beware the Deadly Talon: Neck-breaking, disemboweling, constricting, and snagging—the violent world of raptors. Read more >>
Why We Do It This Way: FWP unveils a new plan that explains the agency’s approach to managing Montana’s diverse and complex fisheries. Read more >>
A Big Win for the Westslope: Genetically pure westslope cutthroat populations in the Upper Missouri Basin have dwindled to less than 5 percent of their original range. The ambitious Cherry Creek restoration is helping stem that loss. Read more >>
Phylum Arthropoda: Photo essay. Read more >>
Where It All Comes Together: Purchased last year with overwhelming local support, the scenic new Marshall Creek Wildlife Management Area is home to grizzly bears, lynx, elk, and bull trout. The area draws thousands of hunters, snowmobilers, campers, and anglers each year, making it a boon to local businesses. Read more >>
Under the Radar: The all-volunteer U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the most important water safety force you’ve never heard of. Read more >>
Getting to No. 1: The stories behind Montana’s largest big game trophies. Read more >>
Rocky Mountain Ivory: Prized for centuries as jewelry and hunting mementos, the modern elk’s small canine teeth are remnants of tusks once grown by its prehistoric ancestors. Read more >>
Who Gets a Shot? The ongoing struggle to allocate archery hunting opportunities for trophy elk in the Missouri Breaks region. Read more >>
Terror at Soda Butte: Grizzlies rarely attack humans with an intent to kill. Yet, tragically, a female bear became predatory two years ago at a U.S. Forest Service campground near Cooke City. Investigators still don’t know why. Read more >>
Grandpa's Gun: Each time I took the old rifle into the mountains, I carried more than just a firearm. Read more >>
Back-to-School Special: Expert tips for adult hunters rusty on the basics of hunting safety and survival. Read more >>
Silver Bow Begins Bouncing Back: Thanks to state and federal remediation, this Butte-area stream is showing hints of its cutthroat trout fishing potential. Read more >>
Catching Great Air: A research scientist documents the remarkable aerodynamic adaptations of northern flying squirrels. Read more >>
Trolls on Ice: How my son and some mythological creatures taught me the joys of fishing through frozen water. Read more >>
Please Do Disturb: Why FWP is using “low-intensity logging” to mimic natural disturbances on some forested wildlife management areas. Read more >>
Why I Hunt: Essay. Read more >>
Fly-Fishing with Frozen Fingers: The combination of ice, wind, snow, and lethargic fish makes the idea of chasing trout in midwinter seem absurd. Until you actually try it. Read more >>
Searching for Wolverines in the West Cabinets: Last winter, nearly 150 volunteers spent 2,000 hours trying to capture images of the elusive furbearer with trail cameras in a remote wildlands area along the Montana-Idaho border. Read more >>