Outdoor news in brief

Snowmobile club offers free avalanche class

The Helena Snowdrifters snowmobile club along with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is sponsoring an avalanche class through the Gallatin Avalanche Center Jan. 10.

The class will be held at the Montana Association of Counties Building located at 2715 Skyway Drive. The class will run from 10 a.m., to around 4 p.m.

If weather and time permit, there will be beacon training and practice outside, after the lecture.

The class is free and open to everyone in the community.

Audubon meeting to feature Costa Rican birding adventure

The January meeting of Last Chance Audubon Society will feature a birding adventure to Costa Rica.

A year ago LCAS members Jo Lace and Brian Shovers joined their birding companions Don and Andrea Stierle of Butte for a 10-day trip to one of the most diverse ecosystems on the planet. The Stierles’ program will feature the birds, mammals, reptiles and plants of this amazing country as seen by these first time visitors to Costa Rica.

The two couples recorded about 80 new life species; including quetzals, motmots, trogans, scarlet macaws, toucans and a wide variety of hummingbirds, as well as howler and white-faced monkeys, agoutis, fishing spiders, tree frogs and American crocodiles.

Habitats stretched from the Monteverde cloud forest to the Corcorvado National Park on the southwestern Pacific coast to the Wilson Botanical Gardens along the Panamanian border. This evening trip to Costa Rica will be a great antidote to the winter-time blues.

The Stierles have taught chemistry at Montana Tech for three decades while pursuing natural products research focused on environmental cleanup of the Berkeley Pit and pharmaceuticals.

The program is free and open to the public and will take place at 7 p.m. at St. Paul’s Methodist Church on Lawrence Street and Cruse Avenue. Enter the church at the Cruse Avenue entrance and the meeting takes place in the Choir Room just inside the front door.

Log-hauling operations slated through Jan. 9

Travelers are reminded that commercial log hauling operations will occur on Telegraph Road #495 until Jan. 9. However, log hauling operations will not occur on weekends or federally recognized holidays.

Log trucks will operate from Telegraph Road #495 to the top of Telegraph (Bullion Parks) Road #527 and then north on road #1863. These roads will be open to the public for wheeled-vehicle use during log hauling operations; however, snowfall will not be completely removed from the roads.

For more information contact the Townsend Ranger District at 266-3425 or the Helena Ranger District at 449-5490.

Trout Unlimited meeting to feature update on brown, rainbow trout

The Pat Barnes Missouri River Chapter of Trout Unlimited will meet Jan. 16, 7-9 p.m., at the Great Northern Hotel.

Grant Grisak, fisheries biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, will present his findings regarding the Missouri River brown and rainbow trout populations.

Refreshments are provided and the meeting is open to the public.

For more information, contact Jay Erickson at jay@mtlandreliance.org.

Bannack skating pond to open Friday

The Bannack ice skating pond and warming house are tentatively scheduled to open Friday, ice conditions permitting.

Call the park at 406-834-3413 to check on ice conditions before coming out. The skating pond will be open every day from Dec. 26 through the Jan. 4 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

After Jan. 4 the skating pond will only be open on weekends and by special reservation.

Avalanche awareness class to be Jan. 15 at ExplorationWorks

Friends of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center are teaching a basic avalanche awareness class at ExplorationWorks Museum Jan. 15, 6:30 p.m.

The class will teach avalanche terrain recognition, the effect weather has on avalanche hazard, the development of the mountain snowpack, decision making skills and basic search and rescue procedures.

For more information — call Amy Sheppard at 457-1800 ext. 5 or e-mail: amys@explorationworks.org.

FWP seeks feedback on proposed changes to elk rifle season

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on proposed adjustments to the 2009 General Elk Rifle Season Structure in Hunting Districts 360 and 362.

The proposal includes adjustments to general season licenses and permits adopted as tentative by the FWP Commission at its December 2008 meeting.

Specifically, FWP proposes to offer brow-tined bull/antlerless hunting with youth opportunity valid for either-sex and unlimited over-the-counter A9/B12 antlerless elk licenses (additional elk license). The change also includes eliminating the Madison Special Management Area (including the antlerless-only permits for that area) and the mandatory hunter orientation. The Airport Weapons Restriction Area would remain in place.

The deadline for submitting comments is Jan. 23, 2009, at 5 p.m. Comments should be sent to:

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; Wildlife Division; Attn: Public Comment; PO Box 200701; Helena MT 59620-0701

Electronic comments can be made by visiting the Hunting Page on FWP’s Web site and clicking on “Opportunity for Public Comment” under Public Notices.

The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission will take final action on this item at its Feb. 12 meeting.

Open house planned to discuss Smith River recreation plan

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host an open house in Helena Jan. 12 to discuss the draft recreation management plan and environmental assessment for Smith River State Park and river corridor.

The open house will be from 5-8 p.m. at the Red Lion Colonial Hotel, 2301 Colonial Drive.

The draft management plan, which would update the current 12-year-old plan, is based in part on the recommendations of the Smith River Citizens Advisory Committee that met 12 times over the past 16 months.

The public is invited to review and comment on the 129-page draft plan and EA through Jan. 30. Copies of the plan and EA are available online at fwp.mt.gov. Click “Smith River Plan.”

The draft plan would establish a random selection process for boat camps; retain pit toilets and implement a voluntary human waste pack-out program; prohibit pets on float trips; and establish a minimum age requirement-16 years old-for permit applicants.

The deadline to comment is Jan. 30, 2009. Comments may be submitted in writing at the open house, via e-mail to smithcomments@mt.gov or by mail. Mail written comments to: Smith River Plan; Montana FWP Headquarters; P.O. Box 200701; Helena., MT 59620-0701.

Copies of the Smith River management plan and EA are also available from most FWP offices, or by calling 444-3750.

Lewis & Clark Caverns candlelight tours

Lewis and Clark Caverns State Park’s Christmas candlelight tours are scheduled for this Saturday. The tours are $15 for adults and $8 for children ages 6-12.

Lewis & Clark Caverns State Park is near Three Forks. For reservations, call 406-287-3541.

Lewis & Clark center to raise admission rate

Beginning Jan. 1, the Lewis and Clark Interpretive Center in Great Falls will increase its entrance fee to $8 per person for those 16 years and older.

Entry is still free for youths 16 and under, and admission is free every Sunday in January.

Other free admission days include the Sunday Sampler on April 5, the Spring Star Party Extravaganza on April 17, and the Center’s anniversary on May 3.

The Interpretive Center is closed on today and New Year’s Day. The Center’s winter hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.; closed Mondays.

Fisher season closed

in Trapping District 1

The season for taking fisher in Trapping District 1 of northwestern Montana closed at midnight Sunday.

Trapping District 1 includes portions of Flathead, Lake, Lincoln, Lewis and Clark, Missoula, Powell and Sanders counties.