Outdoor news

by Hungry Horse News
| March 16, 2015 10:42 AM

Wild walk

Glacier National Park Volunteer Associates will host a talk by Chris Peterson called “A Walk on the Wild Side,” about a 200-mile hike retracing part of a 288-mile hike Bob Marshall took 86 years ago, at the Central School Museum in Kalispell on Monday, March 23, starting at 7 p.m.

Creston birding

Flathead Audubon’s premier birder Craig Hohenberger will lead a birding trip on Sunday, March 22, to view migrating swans, geese and ducks, as well as resident and early migrant songbirds, in the Creston area wetlands. Meet at the Creston School parking lot along Highway 35 at 10 a.m. to carpool. For more information, contact Gael Bissell at 406-261-2255 or gbissell535@gmail.com.

Freezout Lake

Flathead Audubon’s annual visit to the Freezout Lake Wildlife Management area south of Choteau will take place on Saturday and Sunday, March 28 and 29. Participants can expect to see 100,000 snow geese swirling against the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains as they stop to rest and refuel on their migration from central California to the Arctic. Thousands of other waterfowl will also be seen. For more information, contact trip leader Bob Lee at 270-0371 or rml3@centurytel.net.

Hunter education

All students taking Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks hunter education classes must register online by visiting http://fwp.mt.gov and clicking on “Education.” Anyone born after Jan. 1, 1985 must complete the course to buy a hunting license in Montana. Students must be at least 11 years old. In Columbia Falls, all students must attend a brief mandatory orientation at the Columbia Falls Fire Hall on Tuesday, March 24, from 6-8 p.m. Students must have their permission slip. Classes will be held at the Columbia Falls High School from 7-9 p.m. on April 9, 13, 14, 19, 20, 21 and 23. The field course will be held April 25. The test night will be April 27. For more information, call lead instructor Ray Garth at 862-9100.

Bowhunter ed

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will offer a free bowhunter education class in Columbia Falls with classroom sessions at the Teakettle Community Center on Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls on June 11 and 12 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. and June 13 from 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. Field days for adults only will be held at the Flathead Valley Clay Target Club on Saturday, May 9, and Saturday, July 18, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. All first-time bowhunters regardless of age must complete the course to purchase an archery stamp in Montana. Register online at www.fwp.mt.gov by clicking “Education.” For more information, contact instructor Dave Yeats at 892-4527.