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Brett French reports: Yellowstone fisheries chief highlights top spots
Anglers interested in chasing native trout have some options in Yellowstone National Park. For example, when Yellowstone Lake opens on the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend, park fisheries chief Todd…
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Brett French reports: BLM authorizes access route into Missouri Breaks
Following the completion of an environmental assessment, Bureau of Land Management officials have decided to open a half-mile route into the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The short road…
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Brett French reports: E-bikes pedaling into park
Yellowstone National Park’s short spring cycling season, when bikes are allowed before vehicles, is over but use of e-bikes is seeing a steady increase. Electric bikes use a motor to…
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Brett French reports: Yellowstone River stays closed to waterfowl hunting
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission voted unanimously on Wednesday to keep an 87-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River closed to waterfowl hunting. The section of river, from the mouth…
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Brett French reports: As private fish ponds multiply, so do FWP’s problems
Private fish ponds have become a popular amenity on Montana properties, with Fish, Wildlife & Parks processing, on average, 200 permits for new ponds and renewals every year. Private pond…
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Brett French reports: Yellowstone bison hunts quiet compared to last year
State and tribal bison hunters took 25 bison that migrated out of Yellowstone National Park this winter, according to the park’s latest report. That’s down considerably after last winter, when…
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Brett French reports: New computer tool allows users to travel back in time
Ever wonder what your favorite hunting spot looked like in the 1950s? Or maybe you are curious about how development has encroached on your longtime fishing hole. Scientists at the…
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Brett French reports: BLM’s draft sage grouse plan out for comment
The Bureau of Land Management has updated its greater sage grouse management plan for western states and is taking public comments on the document. Despite attempts to decrease the prairie…
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Brett French reports: FWP proposal would lift Yellowstone River waterfowl closure
A proposal before the Fish and Wildlife Commission would lift a 66-year-old waterfowl hunting closure along an 87-mile stretch of the Yellowstone River. The closure was enacted in 1958 when…
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Brett French reports: Moose migrating to southeastern Montana
Hunters’ ears may have perked up when they heard Region 7 in southeastern Montana will be offering one moose tag this hunting season. It was only a little over a…
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Brett French reports: Technology aids search and rescue
Search and rescue calls in busy recreational areas like the Gallatin Valley have become more and more common. To assist in remote areas, the Gallatin Valley Sheriff Search and Rescue…
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Brett French reports: Yellowstone River concerns rise in wake of spill
Conservation groups and fishing outfitters have voiced their concerns in recent correspondence with the groups overseeing the cleanup of the Yellowstone River following last year’s railroad bridge collapse and derailment.…
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Brett French reports: Upland bird proposals draw many comments
Amendments that would delay nonresident upland game bird hunting and dog training in Montana drew pages of comments from hunters. Posted on the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s webpage, the comments…
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Brett French reports: Fort Peck Dam water releases possible
This spring, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers may conduct its test releases of water from Fort Peck Dam. The releases, outlined in a 2021 plan, would only take place…
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Brett French reports: Elk population surges south of Red Lodge following 2021 Robertson Draw fire
In 2021 a 30,000-acre wildland fire spread across the Beartooth Mountains south of Red Lodge. Two years later, new growth springing up in the fire’s wake has attracted numerous elk.…
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Brett French reports: Upland bird meetings reveal hunting details
Two meetings last week in eastern Montana highlighted upland bird hunting pressure, bird population trends and was where amendments were first announced to delay upland bird hunting and dog training…
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Brett French reports: Hunting boundary moved near Gardiner
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission agreed at its meeting in December to realign the boundary of two hunting districts near Gardiner. Hunting District 313 was expanded decades ago to…
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Brett French reports: Commission cuts mule deer doe hunting in Eastern Montana
Mule deer numbers in many areas of Montana have seen significant declines in recent years. That prompted Fish and Wildlife Commission vice-chair Pat Tabor to recommend a halt to all…
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Brett French reports: No fooling: Fort Peck angler Brian Olson’s tactics, techniques catch big fish
Brett French, Outdoors Editor for the Billings Gazette, highlighted Brian Olson of Fort Peck in a recent article–and you don’t want to miss this read. Anglers are sometimes accused of…
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Brett French reports: BLM proposes road to access Breaks
The Bureau of Land Management on Wednesday announced a public comment period for a proposal to open a half-mile section of road that would allow motorized access to 51 miles…
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Brett French reports: Wasteful considerations
Visitors to Yellowstone National Park, which now annually tops about 4 million people, are treated to fantastic sights like Old Faithful geyser, the Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone and bubbling…
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Brett French Reports: Changes to backcountry bighorn hunts considered
Portions of the Beartooth and Absaroka mountains in south-central Montana are unique because they allow unlimited backcountry bighorn sheep hunts. Hunters still can only shoot a three-quarter curl ram, but…
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Brett French reports: New elk management plan praised, panned
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks unveiled its new elk management plan on Dec. 1 after three years of development. Once conservation and landowner groups had a look…
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Brett French reports: Insight from proposed hunting regulation changes
Montana hunters have a lot of information from Fish, Wildlife & Parks to wade through if they want to keep abreast of all the proposed hunting regulation changes. In addition…
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Brett French reports: Grizzly bear photographed in Missouri Breaks
A grizzly bear, possibly an adult male, was photographed by a game camera in the Missouri Breaks in mid-October. The camera was placed on American Prairie’s PN Ranch, which is…
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Brett French reports: Facts for Those with Birds on the Brain
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is updating its Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program Strategic Plan. The public can offer comments through Nov. 30. For those interested in upland birds and…
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Brett French reports: Fishing reg changes worry 2 commissioners
Proposed changes to fishing regulations on southwestern Montana rivers concerned two Fish and Wildlife Commissioners at a recent meeting. As part of a study of the Jefferson River watershed, and…
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Brett French reports: Trial to raise corner crossing issue
A Townsend hunter is facing charges of hunting without permission while crossing from one block of Bureau of Land Management property to another at the corners where they meet. Corner…
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Brett French reports: California quail spotted near Billings
As bird hunters tromp through the hills, valleys and fields of Montana this fall, they could run into an unusual sight. Billings Gazette photographer Larry Mayer shot photos of California…
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Brett French reports: Gold mine lands near Yellowstone purchased
A gold mine proposed near the northern border of Yellowstone National Park, just outside Gardiner, won’t move forward after a conservation group bought out the land, mining leases and water…
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Brett French reports: Crazy Mountain land exchange out for final comment
A proposal to exchange federal and private acreage in the Crazy Mountains and near Big Sky has been slightly altered for final public comment. The deal would exchange 3,855 acres…
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Brett French reports: What you didn’t know about moths
There are way more moths in the world than butterflies, yet butterflies get all of the attention. For the past few years, however, the Montana Moth Project has been working…
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Brett French reports: Agreements ease access to BLM lands
Public Access Land Agreements negotiated this spring by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks with the Square Butte Grazing Association has opened thousands of acres of land in Eastern Montana to…
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Brett French reports: Remembering a friendly fishing guide
Nate Plagmann was one of those outdoorsy guys we all envy. He was a fly-fishing guide, spending his summers on rivers like the Missouri and Bighorn. Come fall, he was…
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Brett French reports: Old family boat tests restoration skills
It’s crazy how a machine can embody so much emotion. In this case, I’m referring to my dad’s 1970s Buehler jet boat, a 19-foot fiberglass beast powered by a Chrysler…
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Brett French reports: Big Sky Resort going even bigger
It was a huge deal in 1995 when Big Sky Resort opened its Lone Peak Tram to the summit of its 11,166-foot mountain. Even if snowboarders or skiers weren’t up…
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Brett French reports: Survey shows Montana, nonresident hunters approve of FWP’s elk, mule deer management
It may be no surprise to some of us Montana hunters that we like the five week rifle season, even though it comes in the middle of the deer rut.…
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Brett French reports: New fishing access site highlights historic dam fight
A new fishing access site along the Yellowstone River just south of Livingston will include information for visitors to learn about an historic event in Montana’s history. In the 1970s,…
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Brett French reports: Yellowstone seeks comments on trout project
Yellowstone National Park is known as the home of its namesake cutthroat trout, a native species. Those fish took a sharp nosedive after lake trout populations in Yellowstone Lake began…
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Brett French Reports: Annual wolf report highlights divisions
There’s no doubt wolves are a controversial topic in the outdoor community. That fact was highlighted during a Wednesday Environmental Quality Council meeting in Helena when Fish, Wildlife & Parks…
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Brett French reports: Collecting native seeds restores lands, people
Between Havre and Malta the Bureau of Land Management has launched a cooperative program to collect native seeds for restoration. What makes the program unique is that it involves the…
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Brett French reports: Who knew that volcanoes could be renegades?
Southeast of Big Timber there are the remains of an ancient volcano, now called Sliderock Mountain. The mountain was formed by the core of the volcano, which erupted sometime around…
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Brett French reports: Slowing down reveals overlooked forest
Last June in a historic flood, East Rosebud Creek roared down its narrow valley, wiping out the only access road to a popular lake and trailheads. Work has begun to…
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Brett French reports: Tribes working to co-manage Yellowstone bison
A nonprofit group is calling for a meeting of tribal representatives in an attempt to push for co-management of Yellowstone National Park’s bison. Buffalo Field Campaign is asking tribal representatives…
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Brett French reports: Stillwater River trout numbers hold despite last June’s historic flood
Last June several streams in southern Montana hit historic high flows. One of those was the Stillwater River, just outside of Columbus. When the river peaked, it was 11 feet…
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Brett French reports: FWP changes bonus point system without notifying public
During this year’s drawings for special permits, hunters who purchase bonus points had better odds of drawing. Instead of waiting a year for a purchased bonus point to be used,…
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Brett French Reports: Cutting through the cutthroat controversy
Restoring native Yellowstone cutthroat trout to streams can rile up anglers, even though the native species has disappeared from 70% of its historic habitat in northwestern Wyoming and was considered…
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Brett French reports: A Beartooth Mountain fishing primer
Each summer a crew of Fish, Wildlife & Parks employees backpacks into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Their goal is to sample some of the 350 lakes with fish to see how…
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Brett French reports: FWP launches new bighorn studies
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks will launch two new bighorn sheep studies in July, part of a five-year $8 million investment. One of the studies will collar…
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Brett French reports: Bison hunt cleanup hauls gut piles to dump
The bison hunt north of Yellowstone National Park this winter has been so successful that gut piles were building up on the landscape. Last week, state and federal agencies got…
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