Outdoor news
Audubon talk
Chris Hammond, of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, will present “The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful” of FWP’s Nongame Program during the Flathead Audubon meeting on Monday, April 8, in the United Way Conference Room at the Gateway Community Center on U.S. 2 West in Kalispell. Hammond has a bachelor’s and master’s in wildlife biology and is the president of the Montana Chapter of The Wildlife Society.
Beauty of birds
Classes for Flathead Audubon’s Beauty of Birds course will be held at Flathead High School on Wednesday evenings on April 10, 17 and 24 and May 1 from 6 to 8 p.m. Participants will receive local birding maps and other information to make them more informed birders. Both beginning birders and seasoned experts are welcome. Cost is $10. To register, contact Debbie Newman at 751-3461. For more information, contact Ashley Mason at AudubonAshley@gmail.com.
Park art contest
Glacier National Park and the Glacier National Park Conservancy are accepting art submissions from high school students for the annual Park pass artwork contest. The winning art will be displayed on the 2014 Park pass. Students are encouraged to focus on the 100th anniversaries of Lake McDonald Lodge, Sperry Chalet and Granite Park Chalet, which occur in 2014. The top three winners will receive a gift certificate from the Conservancy. Original artwork must be submitted by April 12. For more information, visit online at www.nps.gov/glac/forkids/index.htm.
Tracking class
The Montana Wilderness Association will sponsor an animal tracking and sign interpretation class at the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area in Kalispell on Saturday, March 30, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. led by professional tracker and conservation educator Brian Baxter. A field session will follow classroom training in the morning. Baxter has degrees in forestry and wildlife management and more than 38 years experience in the field. Space is limited. To register, call 406-755-6304.
Packing for women
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Back Country Horsemen of the Flathead and Trailhead Supply will co-sponsor a beginning horsepacking workshop for women on May 4 near Kalispell as part of FWP’s Becoming an Outdoors-Woman program. Participants will learn about packing equipment, defensive horse handling, how to pack a decker, sawbuck and riding saddles, and leave-no-trace camping. The $35 fee includes the use of all equipment and packing stock. To register or for more information, mail FWP-BOW, P.O. Box 200701, Helena MT 59620, call 406-444-9940 or e-mail llodman@mt.gov, pr call instructor Andy Breland at 406-261-1109.
Spring Mack Days
Fishermen will be hitting Flathead Lake hard as Spring Mack Days runs through May 19. Organized by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, the aim is to reduce the number of lake trout in Flathead Lake. Up to $150,000 in lottery and bonus prizes are available. Past annual harvests of the 1 million lake trout in Flathead Lake have been 70,000 fish, but biologists say a larger harvest is needed to make a dent in the nonnative trout. For more information, visit online at www.mackdays.com or call Cindy Benson at 883-2888 ext. 7294.
Wilderness talks
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation’s 2013 Wilderness Speakers Series will present a talk by former Glacier National Park ranger Charlie Logan on “Recollections of a Rocky Mountain Ranger” on April 11 at the Flathead Valley Community College’s Arts and Technology Building from 6:30 to 8 p.m.