Outdoor news
Park talks
Glacier National Park Associates will present their Winter Speaker Series at the Central School Museum in Kalispell starting each night at 7 p.m. Glacier Park ranger Gary Moses will talk about “Search and Rescue in Glacier National Park” on Jan. 28; Forest Service avalanche specialist Stan Bones will present an avalanche film called “A Dozen More Turns” on Feb. 26; and Glacier Park researcher Kate Kendall will provide an update on “Grizzlies of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem” on March 25. Admission is free and open to the public. For more information, call 756-8992.
Ice-fishing derby at Babb
The Babb/St. Mary Volunteer Fire Department’s annual ice fishing derby at Duck Lake will take place Feb. 9 and 10 with hourly prize drawings, 50/50 ticket drawings, coffee and food at a concession stand. Fee is $20 with fishing on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 8 a.m. to noon. Tickets will be available at the lake on Friday from 1 to 5 p.m., Saturday starting at 7 a.m. and Sunday from 8 to 10 a.m.
Film festival
Children's House Montessori School in Whitefish will host award-winning films from the International Wildlife Film Festival on Friday, Jan. 25, at the O'Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish starting with a live raptor exhibit at 5 p.m. and films showing from 6-8 p.m. Children attending the even are encouraged to dress up as their favorite animal.Tickets are $8 in advance available at Imagination Station in Whitefish and Kalispell or $10 at the door. For more information, call 863-4685.
Forest camping
Flathead National Forest supervisor Chip Weber has selected Barta Enterprises Inc. of West Yellowstone to operate and maintain the Forest’s campgrounds for the 2013 season. Barta Enterprises successfully bid on two campground prospectus packages which included facilities at Big Creek, Doris Point Boat Launch, Doris Creek, Devil Creek, Emery Bay, Lid Creek, Lost Johnny Point, Lost Johnny Camp, Murray Bay, Riverside, Holland Lake, Owl Creek Packer Camp, Swan Lake Day Use and Campground and Tally Lake Campground. Barta Enterprises will be doing business as Flathead Valley Campgrounds.
Wolf comments
Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are seeking additional comment on a recent court-challenged decision to close the wolf hunting and trapping seasons in two areas north of Yellowstone National Park. The FWP Commission closed the area on Dec. 10, 2012, in response to concern about the harvest of wolves with collars that supply scientific information to Yellowstone Park researchers. The commission will meet via conference call on Jan. 29 to reconsider its closure decision. Comments can be submitted online at www.fwp.mt.gov, click “Hunting ” or mailed to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Attn: Wolf Comments, P.O. Box 200701, Helena MT 59620-0701. Deadline is Jan. 25.
Ice-fishing for women
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will sponsor an ice-fishing workshop as part of its Becoming an Outdoors Woman program at Peterson Lake near Bigfork on Feb. 8-10. This class is for beginning or intermediate anglers who want to learn the basics or improve their fishing skills. For more information, contact Liz Lodman at 406-444-9940 or llodman@mt.gov. Registration forms are available online at http://fwp.mt.gov under “Beyond BOW” and at the FWP office at 490 North Meridian Road in Kalispell.