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Fall 2014

Features

  • Joe Gutkoski, Montanan, conservation, bison activism
    Culture: People

    Wilderness Man

    The story of Joe GutkoskiJoe Gutkoski is a wilderness man. He spent his childhood summers in Pennsylvania trout fishing, and his autumns hunting whitetails in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. In 1949, Joe ranged…
  • Brown Trout, fishing in Montana, fly fishing
    Activities: Fishing

    The Battle of Bismarck

    A foe not soon forgotten.Slowly twirling across the water’s surface, the yellow leaf hinted at the gilded denizens lurking below. The exhilarating, cool air was aromatic with the odor of molding foliage. On that mid-October…
  • Yellowstone Grand Canyon, paddling, boating, National Park waterways
    Activities: Boating

    To Be Oar Not to Be

    Paddling access in National Parks.Yellowstone National Park is known as a recreational paradise for hikers, campers, wildlife observers, fishermen, skiers, and adventurers. But recently another group of recreationists has…
  • hunting, wapiti, big game, Montana landscape
    Activities: Big-Game Hunting

    Where's Wapiti?

    A case of forebearance and beginner's luck.If you fish or hunt, you’ve likely met That Guy. He’s recently moved to Montana and he wants to knowwhere to find the big bulls and lunker browns—right now. He doesn’t much care…

Departments

  • Bozeman Creek High School Mandeville Creek Enhancements
    Culture: Around the Bozone

    Clearwater Revival

    The section of Mandeville Creek from Montana State University to Bozeman High School (BHS) has been neglected like a misunderstood stepchild for years—but that’s about to change. A tributary of the East Gallatin River,…
  • Photography, Landscape, Bozeman, Montana
    Training: Photography

    Defense of the Craft

    There's more to photography than point and shoot.The world is filling up with images. Online, in our newspapers and even some magazines, snapshots are the currency of the day. And as more creators enter the pool, the water…
  • Snow Geese, Poetry, Bozeman, Montana
    Culture: Arts & Culture

    Snow Geese

    Step outsideIt’s still and coldThe mountains shineLike burnished goldAll aroundThe silence ringsYou feel the powerThat wildness bringsThis is the worldAs it was madeThis crystal snowThat virgin gladeHigh overheadYou hear a…
  • West Yellowstone, Eagles Store, Yellowstone National Park
    Places: Cities & Towns

    Founding Families

    How West Yellowstone was born.The streets of West Yellowstone are lined with businesses that celebrate the outdoors—indeed, the town wouldn’t exist if not for Yellowstone National Park and the plethora of outdoor…
  • Activities: Hunting

    Goodwill Hunting

    Block management provides for all.FWP is giving high priority to building hunter-landowner relationships, as they are a critical element in maintaining conservation efforts and allowing hunter access to private lands.Hunter…
  • Ice Climbing, Bozeman, Montana, Twin Falls, Hyalite
    Activities: Ice Climbing

    Early Ice

    Hyalite's Twin Falls.For Bozeman ice climbers, the season begins as soon as the first fall frost whitens windshields and kills off the last of the mosquitos. Summer’s final dusty days are eclipsed by shimmering memories of…
  • Hunting, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Bird Hunting

    Pop Goes the Partridge

    Hunting huns and chasing time.Okay… gotta be straight from the get-go. I’m not a great wing shot. If the feds ever instituted a No Hunter Left Behind initiative, I’d be their poster child. On most days, I am a B student at…
  • Field-dress, hunting, bozeman, montana
    Activities: Big-Game Hunting

    Dress For Success

    Game's on the ground: now what? As a former wild-game processor, I find that many hunters prepare their entire hunts to the “T” yet fail to think about what happens after the kill. What's worse, the same mistakes and…
  • Fishing with dogs, dogs, fishing, Bozeman
    Activities: Fishing

    Captain Canine

    Fishing with dogs.I’ve always been something of an outdoors schizophrenic. This does not mean a crazy person who lives outside. Nor does this imply that I only go nuts when I’m out of the house. No, what I am is a person…
  • Conservation, FWP, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
    Culture: Conservation

    Funding the Future

    FWP at a crossroads.Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, through its employees and citizen commission, provides for the stewardship of the fish, wildlife, parks, and recreational resources of Montana, while contributing to…
  • Ousel Falls, Hiking, Waterfall
    Activities: Hiking

    Short & Sweet

    Hiking Ousel Falls.Located just outside Meadow Village in Big Sky, Ousel Falls offers an easy, scenic autumn hike—perfect for taking advantage of shorter days. And because the trail is close to town, there is little to no…
  • Bow hunting, archery, women, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Archery

    Meet Your New Bow

    Female archers are on the rise.Maybe it’s the allure of The Hunger Games’ arrow-slinging heroine. Maybe it’s the pink-camo bows. Or maybe women are getting tired of telling the men, “Enjoy hunting with your bros,” and are…
  • Squat jump
    Activities: Skiing

    Get Ski Fit

    Anytime, anywhere.Winter will be here before we know it, and getting in shape for ski season means the difference between enjoying those deep December powder days and grimacing between muscle convulsions. For anyone looking…
  • Hunting Advice, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Hunting

    Ask a Hunter

    Advice for the fall season.Everyone needs advice, and each issue we encourage readers to send in their questions, to be answered by an outdoor enthusiast who best represents that season. This issue, two beleaguered…
  • Wild Game, Elk, Antelope, Mule Deer
    Culture: Food & Drink

    Fancy-Up Your Game

    Pairing fall's harvest.Cooking and eating should be a celebration of life here in our beautiful valley—and to that end, nothing is better than wild game. But pairing side dishes and wines with game can be tough, and we…
  • Fall fishing, fly fishing, lake fishing, Montana
    Activities: Fishing

    Autumnal Angling

    After the crowds of summer have gone.There’s no better season for fishing than autumn. Cooler weather keeps water temperatures in the sweet spot for trout; shorter days trigger many fish species to feed actively, and for…
  • Fall Camping, Gallatin National Forest, Forest Service Cabins
    Activities: Camping

    Chill Out

    Where and how to camp this season.Summer has dwindled away—the air bites at your nose and cuts through your fleece, painted leaves float to the dying grass, and everyone seems to be preparing for the first snowfall. You…
  • Ghost Walk, Bannack State Park, Montana ghost town
    Culture: Around the Bozone

    Strolling with Spirits

    The Bannack Ghost Walk.Everybody loves a good ghost story, and Montana has plenty. Our state’s rough-and-tumble frontier history—where folks often met a violent and untimely end—seems to fuel the fire where spooks and…
  • Bouldering, Southwest Montana, Bozeman
    Activities: Rock Climbing

    Wanted: Big Rocks

    Bouldering's search for hidden problems.Bouldering is, at its core, a distillation of rock-climbing movement. Unlike sport and traditional climbers, boulderers move up stone without ropes, using cushy foam pads to protect…
  • Mountain Biking, Shafthouse Trail, Bridger Mountains
    Activities: Mountain Biking

    Getting Shafted

    Mountain biking the northern Bridgers.The short, steep climb at the beginning of the Shafthouse Trail is easily forgotten once you take in the incredible views of the northern Bridgers and spectacular expanse of the Shields…
  • Bozeman biking, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Road Biking

    Precarious Pedaling

    Is Bozeman really bicycle-friendly? When a cyclist died on Frontage Rd. in June after swerving into traffic, my phone began buzzing with messages from people concerned that the victim was my significant other. It could have…
  • Hunting dogs, dogs, hunting, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Hunting

    Fido in the Field

    Comparing hunting breeds. Hunting and dogs: there’s no better combination. Not just the dogs themselves, with their athleticism and incredible sense of smell, but the experience of trekking through tall grass alongside your…
  • camp coffee, brewing coffee, how to pack coffee
    Training: Tips & Tricks

    Backcountry Brewing

    Coffee isn't optional.Montana’s backcountry and good java go hand in hand. But when packing one’s own supplies into the wilderness, what’s the best compromise between weight and quality, mess and simplicity? After many…
  • Hunting, Montana, Paradise Valley, Fall
    Activities: Hunting

    Hunting with Harry

    An unlikely hunter’s respect for the season.The emotions that good hunters need to cultivate are love and service more than courage. The sentiments of the hunt then become translated into art. —James SwanLike any time-…
  • Running, overpronation
    Training: Injury Prevention

    Flat-Footed

    Preventing overpronation.In my 23 years as a chiropractor, I’ve seen countless patients this time of year who complain of foot, knee, hip, and back pain. Be it hikers logging trail miles or hunters traversing uneven terrain…
  • Shooting, target practice, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Hunting

    Shooting Safely

    Tips for responsible target practice.Grab your .22, call a few friends, and head to some nearby national-forest land for an afternoon of target shooting. You have an old television that seems like an ideal target—it’s the…
  • Fall leaves, autumn, fall colors, chlorophyll, trees
    Nature

    Fall Foliage

    The leaves they are a-changin'.It’s that time of year: the sunlight fades, the air chills, and the chlorophyll dissipates. The trees around Bozeman succumb to these forces and a physical alteration takes place in our woody…
  • Bow hunting, Bozeman, Montana, rollerblading
    Activities: Hunting

    Blades of Gory

    Hunting the urban interface.This fall, don’t be surprised to see bowhunters on blades—rollerblades, that is. With development encroaching on traditional deer habitat in the Gallatin Valley, a new breed of hunter is taking…
  • Fishing, fly fishing, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Fishing

    Fishing for Funding

    Sportfish and wildlife restoration programs.In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen.—Theodore RooseveltNo one likes paying taxes, but when it comes to…
  • Autumn Constellations, Bozeman, Montana
    Training: Astronomy

    The Fishy Fall Sky

    Among Montana’s many iconic images is that of the lone fisherman, casting a fly on a trout stream in the clear September sunlight, with the early autumn chill just beginning to turn the leaves. The sky has an analog of…
  • astrology, Bozeman, Montana, aries
    Culture: Humor

    Autumn Astrology

    Horoscopes for the fall season.Aries: March 21 – April 20A spike in the freezer is better than a Boone and Crocket trophy. Take that opening-day shot or make your peace with marmot (it tastes like chicken) on toast. Taurus…
  • Montana Public Lands, Federal Land Montana
    Culture: Around the Bozone

    Risky Business

    States consider public-land acquisition.How would you feel if the Gallatin National Forest went up for sale on the open market? Well, it could happen, if some Western lawmakers have their way. Both Nevada and Utah have…
  • Bozeman, Montana
    Culture: Face-Off

    Bozeman Natives vs. Transplants

    Who rules Bozeman?It’s an age-old rivalry: natives vs. transplants. How do you know if someone’s a native? They’ll tell you. People who have grown up in Bozeman often lament the constant stream of newcomers, but then again…
  • Skate skiers, Montana, Bozeman
    Culture: Letters & Rants

    Letters - Fall 2014

    Letters from O/B readers.Sick of Skate SkiersCan you use your powers of the pen to stop the proliferation of the annoying trend of skate skiers on roads? You know the ones I mean—the spandex-clad, middle-aged activists who…
  • Fall, Bozeman, Montana
    Activities: Miscellaneous

    Outlook - Fall 2014

    Slow down—don’t turn off the heat just yet. Check back in a month; we’ll be ready then, I’ll bet.The grass isn’t ready and the leaves aren’t so bright. The trails are still perfect and the rivers are all right.Just one more…
  • Yellowstone wolves, wolves, wild dog, wolf hunt
    Nature

    Wolf Watch

    The latest on Montana's top dog"The wolf reintroduction has gone so well that, somewhat ironically, the wolves are now threatened by their own success." —William R. Lowry, Repairing Paradise: The Restoration of Nature in…

Gear Reviews

  • crampons, fishing wading, anti-slip traction
    Activities: Fishing

    Hillsound FreeSteps6

    Wading out to my favorite fishing spots has always been a precarious operation, and the swift currents, slippery banks, and mossy rocks of Montana’s rivers have left me upended and soaked more times than I’d like to admit.…
  • Gear: Apparel

    Review: Aventura Greenwood Capris

    As soon as I put on Aventura’s Greenwood Capris, I fell in love. The spandex/polyester blend follows my every movement, forming to whatever body position I put myself in—no more bunched-up material when I squat or bend over…
  • Bow hunting, women, archery, Bozeman
    Activities: Archery

    Elite Archery Spirit Bow

     While the shrink-it-and-pink-it philosophy still exists with women’s bows, there are finally women-specific models that are just as badass as the men’s. I outgrew my beginner bow this year, and tested out the Spirit—the…
  • orthotics, footbed inserts, overpronation
    Gear: Apparel

    Vasyli Custom Orthotics

    I’ve always liked footbed inserts, but I never really knew why—until a chiropractor noticed my overpronation and put me into a Vasyli custom orthotic. This thing is the Cadillac of footbeds—heat-moldable, with a Sorbon…
  • Mystery Ranch pack, backpacking,
    Gear: Equipment

    Mystery Ranch Big Mountain

    Two words came to mind when I was deciding on a new pack: quality and comfort. The new Big Mountain pack from Mystery Ranch delivers both. Quality was a no-brainer; Mystery Ranch is known for their top-notch products. Women…

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