Nov 18, 2021 10:40 AM
This cover shot was taken by Donald M. Jones.
Full January-February Issue
Where Have All the Porcupines Gone? In western Montana’s mountains, once-numerous “quill pigs” have disappeared. Biologists have theories but, so far, no answers. Read more >>
Secrets of a Morelling Master: A day afield with Montana’s “Mushroom Whisperer.” Read more >>
The People Behind the Place: Montana’s new Outdoor Hall of Fame celebrates the broad cross-section of individuals who’ve made—and continue to make—this wild and scenic state what it is today. Read more >>
Back Talk: Whether wagging, waving, thrashing, flaring, rattling, slapping, or bobbing, animal tails have a lot to say. Read more >>
A Great Place To Be a Bluebill: Researchers at Red Rock Lakes in southwestern Montana are trying to figure out why lesser scaup are faring so well at the remote national wildlife refuge but so poorly elsewhere in North America. Read more >>
Finding a Way Through: Biologists and ranchers are devising innovative ways to help elk, deer, pronghorn, and other wildlife travel over, under, and through livestock fencing without harm. Read more >>
In Love With the Gallatin: Easy to access, easy to wade, and often even easy to fish, it’s no wonder the spectacularly scenic Gallatin remains one of Montana’s most popular trout rivers. Read more >>
Beware the Savage Sundew: If you’re an insect, that is. Also watch out for bladderworts and Montana’s other carnivorous plants. Read more >>
Enough For All: Cooperation among irrigators, anglers, and state agencies ensures that Painted Rocks Reservoir provides the Bitterroot River with enough water for both trout and crops each summer. Read more >>
A Recipe for Big Trout: Start with a cold, clean river, add organic elements and compounds that increase fertility, warm the water slightly in sunshine, then make sure too many fish aren’t competing for food. Mix thoroughly. Serves many happy anglers. Read more >>
Making Things Right Again: After high levels of PCBs in Big Spring Creek were discovered coming from its Lewistown hatchery, FWP was faced with a dilemma: wait for other state and federal agencies to tell it what to do, or start cleaning up the mess and winning back the community’s trust. Read more >>
Panfish on the Prairie: Eastern Montana’s fishing ponds may not draw the tourists that mountain trout rivers do. That’s fine with local anglers, who are happy to have places to catch abundant, tasty fish all to themselves. Read more >>
A Unique Solution? The rules governing angler floats on the Beaverhead and Big Hole Rivers seem to be working well. But are they appropriate for the growing number of Montana rivers experiencing similar user conflicts? Read more >>
The Trouble With Tricos: They’re too small. They’re too numerous. And because trout go bonkers for the miniature mayflies, they’re too hard for any fly angler to ignore. Read more >>
Where Prairie Meets Mountain: The origins, beauty, grandeur, and wonder of Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front. Read more >>
Cleaning the Slate: Why FWP wants hunters to cull an entire herd of bighorn sheep in the Tendoy Mountains southwest of Dillon. Read more >>
Straddling the Border: The ongoing challenge of managing Lake Koocanusa—a scenic, 90-mile-long reservoir that sits in both the United States and Canada. Read more >>
All Eyes on the Water: Volunteer lake monitors keep close watch on northwestern Montana lakes. What are they finding? Read more >>
Affable Authority: FWP game wardens mean business. But with a nod and a smile. Read more >>
Just One Bugle: We listen to screams all right, but they’re not from elk. Read more >>
Running the Duck Factory: How Montana manages its nationally significant (but often unrecognized) waterfowl populations. Read more >>
We Lucky Few: Let’s pause the gloom-a-thon for just a moment to remember that we get to hunt in Montana. Read more >>
Mastering Block Management: No one ever said having 8 million acres of private land to hunt would be easy. Read more >>
The Judith Turns 75: Montana’s popular wildlife management area system celebrates its diamond anniversary with the acquisition that started it all. Read more >>
Gardening with a Gun: Locavores—some of them ex-vegetarians—are adding organic, free-range game meat to their fall harvest. Read more >>
A Fine Finish: Ending Montana’s pheasant season with a rooster volcano. Read more >>
Danger Around Every Bend: How sporting art’s “predicament scenes” have shaped our perceptions of the outdoors. Read more >>
Shouldering its Responsibility: FWP proposes additional hunting seasons to reduce the size of burgeoning elk herds in parts of Montana. Read more >>
Lost in Space: Return from the backcountry in one piece by avoiding these mental mistakes. Read more >>