The 39th Annual Photo IssueThis gorgeous cover shot was taken by photographer Cindy Goeddel of Big Timber.
Full January-February Issue
The Herd and the Bird - How an innovative federal program is conserving sage-grouse by helping ranchers improve their cattle-grazing practices. Full story
Welcome Back, Stranger - Seeing the American robin again for the first time. Full story
16 Raptors That Every Montanan Should (Kinda) Know - The "good enough" guide to identifying birds of prey. Full story
Search for the Elusive Fisher - In an unprecedented survey, crews in Montana and Idaho set up hundreds of bait stations in targeted mountain habitat to locate these rare predators. Full story
Plugging the Leaks - A worrisome incident in September 2019 highlights the need for Montana to continue improving watercraft inspections. Full story
Homecoming - The trumpeter swan’s long-awaited return to the Flathead and Blackfoot Valleys. Full story
Give a Big Hand for the Big Hole - Applauding the consensus-based, collaborative approach to conserving this premier southwestern Montana trout and grayling river. Full story
Catfish Crazy - For the past 20 years, Glasgow has stayed up late the first Saturday in June to celebrate the Catfish Classic and the Milk River’s remarkable channel cat fishery. Full story
Has Catch-and-Release Gone Overboard? - The case for harvesting more trout. Full story
Living Limestone - Revisiting the ever-changing geological wonders of Lewis & Clark Caverns, Montana’s first state park. Full story
Blaming the Birds - Are pelicans, cormorants, and other winged piscivores harming game fish populations? Full story
My Salmonid Search - An angler’s quest to catch Montana’s nine native coldwater species. Full story
Floating Flowers in the Sky - The challenge and importance of counting butterflies. Full story
In-Between Bears - Communities and FWP adapt as grizzlies spread into historic habitats. Full story
How Hot Is It? - Essay. Full story
Calming the Waters - How FWP game wardens keep boaters safe. Full story
The Fish and the Turbines - Balancing electrical power with the needs of native fish. Full story
On a Bat Safari - Tours at state parks and other sites across Montana introduce participants to a nighttime wildlife spectacle. Full story
Choosing the Unleaded Option - Hunters are switching to copper and other less toxic bullets after learning how lead projectiles endanger eagles and other scavenging wildlife. Full story
Dino Destination - Eastern Montana’s Makoshika State Park shines as one of the nation’s premier places for all things paleo. Full story
To Eat Or Not to Eat? - Pondering venison consumption in the age of CWD. Full story
Keepers of the Flame - Defying stereotypes, Millennials are maintaining the long tradition of wilderness guiding and wrangling. Full story
Turkey Day Tradition - Each fall, my wife and I try to harvest a bird for Thanksgiving dinner. Here’s how we hunt turkeys during Montana’s late season. Full story
Overwhelmed - Visitation increases induced by Covid-19 are pushing Montana’s state parks—already struggling with insufficient staff, limited infrastructure, and growing shoulder season attendance—to their breaking point. Full story
Paying It Back (And Forward) - Each year FWP distributes nearly $30 million to Montana landowners in Block Management Program payments, conservation easements, and other wildlife habitat and hunter access programs. Full story
Awesome Opportunities - From walleye and catfish to whitefish and cutthroat, Montana offers up a dizzying diversity of angling action. Full story
Good Maintenance Makes Good Neighbors - FWP puts a high priority on controlling weeds, building fences, and managing timber on wildlife management areas across Montana. Full story
A Guiding Light - Recent recommendations from the Governor’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council are helping wildlife managers better understand exactly how Montanans want bears and people to coexist. Full story