Outdoor news
Elk Foundation
The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will hold its 27th annual banquet and auction in the Expo Building at the Flathead County Fairgrounds on Feb. 18 beginning at 5 p.m. There will be a prime rib dinner at 7 p.m., raffles, silent and live auctions, and entertainment. Tickets are $70 per person or $105 per couple available by calling Kim Wold at 257-9110 or visiting onlne at www.events.rmef.org.
Horsemen meet
The Beartooth Chapter of the Back Country Horsemen of Montana will host the outdoor group's 2012 statewide convention at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center, in Billings, on Friday through Sunday, March 30 through April 1. With a theme of "Back Country Horsemen in the 21st Century," there will be silent and live auctions, entertainment, a banquet and a photo competition. Donations for the auction can be made by contacting Audrey Harrison at 406-962-9146. Registration forms are available in advance at BCHMT.org or by contacting Carolyn Eucker at (406) 322-4752 or horseqtrsranch@aol.com. For more information, visit online at www.bchmt.org/flatbch.
Marsh show
Photographer Dick Walker will present a slideshow and talk on "Magee Marsh-Warbler Mecca and Migrant Trap" at the Flathead Audubon meeting in the The Summit, in Kalispell, on Monday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. The seven-acre, heavily-wooded swamp sits on the southern shore of Lake Erie. Another famous migration site, Point Pelee, is also on Lake Erie and across from Magee Marsh, in Canada. Walker and his wife Pam have lived in the Flathead since the 1970s and are both photographers. Their work may be seen online at www.dickandpamwalker.com.
Park trips
The Glacier National Park Fund will offer snowshoeing and cross-country skiing outings in Glacier National Park this winter. Outings include Feb. 10, snowshoeing; Feb. 24, snowshoeing; March 9, skiing; March 16, snowshoeing; and March 23, skiing. All outings are weather dependent, take three hours and take place on the west side of the Park. For more information, call 892-3250 or visit online at www.glaciernationalparkfund.org.
Fishing derby
The Babb/St. Mary Volunteer Fire Department's annual ice-fishing derby fundraiser will be held at Duck Lake on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 12 and 13, with hourly prize drawings and 50/50 ticket drawings. Fishing on Saturday will be allowed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. Entry fee is $20 per person available at the lake. Children under-12 fish for free. Prizes for biggest fish range from $100 to $700 for adults and children. For more information, call 406-732-9292.