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As we grapple with adjusting to a new normal, I find many people seeking outdoor recreational therapy. I expect renewed interest to continue as spring gives way to summer and summer to fall and I can only hope that our lives can continue to take on more normalcy in that time. For those of you already looking forward to the fall hunting seasons, I will give you an update of what I have learned over the winter and spring. I will also give updates on the Blackfoot Clearwater Wildlife Management...
Each year we receive questions from the public about beavers. Some of those questions come from frustrated landowners wanting to know how to remove beavers that are causing flooding problems along irrigation ditches or at culverts along road crossings. Others are interested in learning more about beavers and curious about whether their property would benefit from the busy rodents. This dichotomy of feelings towards beavers is not unusual and certainly something that FWP has experienced with other wildlife species. It is true that in some...
It has been a longer than usual winter for most of the Blackfoot Watershed and as mud season transitions us from winter to spring we'll take the opportunity to review the past year. Before I dive into the recap of the past season I wanted to take a moment to remind folks that with spring around the corner please remember that bears will soon be returning to the valleys. Now is the time to start bringing the dog food and bird feeders inside, securing your garbage, and generally being mindful of...
As the seemingly endless winter snows begin to turn to rain and our valley snowmelt begins to fill our streams and wetlands, it finally appears that spring is here. A winter like this one is an uncommon event, maybe occurring once every 10 to 20 years. For some of the wildlife in the Blackfoot watershed these events can be life giving times of plenty. For others, it can be a struggle to survive with many losing the battle. The winners tend to be those species with adaptations for deep snows and...
As spring weather starts to dominate and days grow longer, most of us are itching to get outdoors, shed some layers and shake off the winter blues. And who could blame you? What a spectacular time to be outdoors and no better place than the Blackfoot Valley! The ice has disappeared from our many lakes and with that our migratory waterfowl and shorebirds are returning. If birding is your thing, this is your time of year! While you’re at it, grab the fishing rod and make a day of it. If you have hunting on your mind, spring opportunities exist f...
As the 2015 year reaches its twilight, it’s good to reflect on the many projects over the past eleven months. For me, I spend the better part of a year thinking about big game and big game management. Whether by choice or not, big game management has consumed my focus. However, when given the opportunity I try to enjoy the many other wildlife species that make the Blackfoot Watershed their home. We live in a rare place, rare in the riches of wildlife and wild lands that we enjoy but also rare in the people and communities that share this ...
