Calendar of upcoming activities

Ducks Unlimited

On Friday, March 6, Helena Ducks Unlimited will host its annual banquet, and tickets are now on sale. This year's early bird drawing is for a Savage Gold Wing shotgun donated by Helena Abstract & Title Co. In Montana, DU has completed more than 440 projects at a cost of over $20 million with over 46,000 acres of habitat being protected or improved.

To order tickets for the banquet, or for more information, call Kathy Stirner at 458-6411.

Calling all sportsmen

On Friday, March 6, Capital Sports will host its Avid Sportsman's night at 6 p.m. at the Friendship Baptist Church in Montana City. The event will host Matt Sutton, a bear-attack survivor, door prizes, and free food and drink. Call 442-8080 for more information.

Prickly Pear Meeting

On March 10, at 7:30 p.m. at the VFW Club in East Helena, the Prickly Pear Sportsmen's Association will host regular meeting with a program and a corned beef and cabbage dinner. For more information, call

449-4740.

Gun dogs

On March 11, the Helena Valley Gun Dog club will present the Hunter Retriever Club at their annual meeting. The HRC allows hunters to test their dogs in as close to a real hunting situation as possible. HRC offers three levels of testing including started, seasoned and finished. Upland testing is also offered in a different format but equally as demanding. There is also two tests a year for the international grand hunt offered to any dog that has achieved its Hunting Retriever Championship.

Call 458-8816 for more information.

Ski the pass

On March 14, ski Stemple Pass to Flescher Pass with the Helena Outdoor Club. The trip has been requested by several people and is subject to avalanche conditions and locating an experienced guide.

Call 449-7971 for more information.

Trout Unlimited

On March 21, at the Helena Civic Center at

6 p.m., the Missouri River Chapter of Trout Unlimited will host its banquet. Event includes no-host cocktails, dinner, original art, raffles and other things. Tickets are $35 and are available at Cross Currents, Montana Fly Goods, Capital Sports and the Trout Shop.

Call 495-2675 for more information.

Hike and soak

On March 21 and 22, hike or snowshoe near White Sulphur Springs. The trip will be followed by a soak and stay at the Spa Hot Springs Motel. Call early for reservations at

449-7971.

Montana's butterflies

On March 24, at 7 p.m., Steve Kohler will present "Montana's Butterflies and Their Plants." Steve Kohler will talk about some of the work he has been doing on the food plants of butterfly larvae. Free in the large meeting room at the Lewis and Clark Library.

Jennifer Lowe-Anker

On March 25, at 7 p.m. at the Base Camp, the Helena Outdoor's Club will host Jennifer Lowe-Anker. The author of "Forget Me Not," Lowe-Anker will present a slide show and read from her memoir regarding her life with world-renowned climber Alex Lowe and her marriage to his partner Conrad Anker. For more information, call

406-310-1293.

Party with the horsemen

On March 27, the Last Chance Backcountry Horseman chapter of Helena will host its 2009 Backcountry Horsemen of Montana state convention.

The theme for this year's convention is "Traveling in the Back Country." Backcountry chapters from around the state will have displays of their activities with information, handouts, and membership applications. There will also be a photo contest with a variety of categories.

A raffle featuring prizes valued at nearly $2,000 will also be held. Raffle prizes include a silver bullet tent stove, a Decker pack saddle, counter assault electric bear fence, a plasma-cut metal ranch sign and a chain saw.

Raffle tickets are $3 each, 2 for $5, or 5 for $10. Tickets can be purchased from any Last Chance Backcountry Horseman member or by e-mailing mules2ride@msn.com.

Send your fish art

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Snappy Sport Center of Kalispell and Flathead Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited, are sponsoring a competition for the national State-Fish Art Contest.

The contest is open to all Montana students' grades 4 through 12. The artwork must focus on cutthroat trout, Montana's state fish. Entries will be grouped by grades 4-6, 7-9, and 10-12. Older students are particularly encouraged to enter.

Entries must on be an 8.5-inch by 11-inch horizontal format with no lettering or initials on the face of the artwork. In addition, an official entry form and one-page report on cutthroat trout must accompany the artwork.

Official entry forms, full contest rules, and cutthroat trout information are available online at www.statefishart.com. An Educator's Corner is also available on the Web site for teachers.

Send or deliver entries to: FWP State-Fish Art Contest; 490 N. Meridian Rd.; Kalispell, MT 59901. Entries must received by

5 p.m., March 24.

Bowhunting education

Registration for bow-hunter education classes began last week. Registration takes place at the FWP headquarters in Helena, located at 1420 E. Sixth Ave., from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Those purchasing a Montana archery license must provide a certificate showing completion of the National Bowhunter Education Foundation course, or provide any prior year's bow-hunting archery stamp. Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985, is also required to present a hunter education certificate when purchasing a hunting license.

New trails grants

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will offer a new round of funding for two trails grant programs.

The application deadline is July 1 for grants from both the Recreational Trails Program and the Off-Highway Vehicle Program.

The federal program is administered by FWP with oversight by the Federal Highways Administration. It includes more than $1 million in grants for construction and maintenance of motorized and non-motorized trails in urban and rural settings, along with a variety of backcountry trail work.

Information on applying for both grants is available at fwp.mt.gov, or call

444-7642.

Readers: The deadline to submit an event for Thursday's outdoors section is now on Monday. Please send event information to the outdoors editor at mkidston@helenair.com