Fall 2024

A call for connection with the life and landscapes of southwest Montana. It’s seldom as it seems. The river is low and clear, giving cover to feeding trout which are not supposed to be active, yet we still lay a fat…

How a well-intentioned crew forever alienated a new elk-hunting buddy. There is something special about tales told in hunting camps. Camps that are way out in the sticks, with no cell service and thus removed from…

Haley Sir and PLWA investigate access issues in Montana. It was a good day to be inside, a turbulent spring snowstorm having blown in to remind those hopeful for warm weather and fresh blooms that winter wasn’t done yet.…

A frustrated hunter finds a novel solution to an age-old problem. But he can only keep it up for so long… Having started hunting late in life, my shooting career was less than auspicious and to be honest, downright…

A longtime friendship takes on a new dimension. Trees drop their leaves. Farmers harvest. Hunters stalk the hills. As a symbol of mortality, fall can be a downer. But it’s my favorite season. It reminds me of vibrant “…

The subtleties of Bozeman’s wetlands. Though only a fraction of what were once abundant throughout the Gallatin Valley, Bozeman-area wetlands give a glimpse into a diverse community of birds living right at our doorstep.…

The long view in autumn. The cool, crisp evenings of autumn can be invigorating for stargazing, even if the sky isn’t scattered with bright stars as it will be this winter. There are still distinctive patterns to find, and…

Reimagining the calisthenics of hunting season. As any serious hunter can attest, it takes discipline, stillness, and focus to stalk and kill an animal. In fact, for these reasons, historians believe that hunting co-…

Gear-repair basics. Outdoor recreation is a wonderful way to connect with nature, challenge yourself, and experience southwest Montana’s backyard playground. However, the very activities that bring us joy also take a toll…

Measuring the impact of recreation on nature and wildlife. Before tuning out the mind-numbing barrage of political ads we’ve been subjected to this year, I noticed that a major issue highlighted in many of them is the…

Montana’s absurd hunting & wildlife laws. Wildlife regulations in the state of Montana have been piling up since the territorial legislature first convened in Bannack in December 1864. At that session, the legislature…

Finding your outdoor horoscope. Fall calls upon us to reflect, to look inward, and to seek resolution. We consulted the charts and learned what’s in store for each astrological sign this coming year. Take it in stride—we’…

The evolution of land use in Montana. Editor’s note: The following is an excerpt from a speech delivered at a convention celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. After my birth on the plains of Wyoming…

A climbing-and-fishing tour at Carter’s Bridge. It’s mid-October and the first dusting of snow has hit the high peaks. Yellow leaves cling precariously to cottonwood trees before being whisked away by the first real winter…

Is fly tying as glorious as it seems? Fly fishing: possibly the ultimate outdoor pursuit when it comes to connecting with nature. Not only can one foster a relationship with the fish, but also with the river itself, the…

The history behind the federal duck stamp. The Duck Stamp Act, more formally coined the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act, requires waterfowl hunters 16 years old and older to buy and carry a federal stamp every year when…

Sweet relief in Paradise Valley. It’s hot. Our house doesn’t have A/C and the late-September forecast calls for unusually high temps. The thermostat hovers around 80 degrees indoors and it feels like our blood is about to…

Punishing our dopey, dawdling highway department. It’s Friday afternoon and the mountains are calling. After a pit-stop for gas and ice, you hit the I-90 on-ramp and point the rig east, to the land of open prairie,…

Poems by H.G. Moser; art by Bob White Companions As long as you have a dog to be your companion you have every reason to live a happy life Stickeen Just finished John Muir’s memoir of his adventure on an Alaskan glacier—…

Venison rib roast, dressed to impress. Rib roasts are one of those things that look unbelievably elegant but are shockingly easy to prepare. With just a little bit of effort and know-how, you can knock the socks off a date…

The friendly traditions of fall. Rituals are the formulas by which harmony is restored. —Mitch Albom Fall is a season of tradition. For some, that means a shoulder-season canoe trip in Yellowstone. For others, it’s a…

Hunter’s safety—for the body. With hunting season upon us, it’s time to make sure you’re prepared. Beyond just sighting in your weapons and getting your gear in check, it’s important to ensure that your body is tuned up…

Essential fall flies and how to fish them. Fall can be the best time of year to fish local rivers. The browns are gearing up for the spawn, and rainbows are feeding hard for the long winter ahead. Whether you prefer nymphs…

Which candidates support wildlife, recreation, and conservation? By now you’ve seen or heard all the political ads. Heck, they’d be hard to miss. Montana politicians are locked in some tight races, both for seats in…

Bear encounters in the heart of Yellowstone. A few summers back, a friend and I planned our second annual backpacking trip, and it was a big one. Six days and five nights in some of the most heavily populated grizzly-bear…

Conservation, access, and public-lands updates from around the Bozone. FOR THE LOVE OF PEETS This summer, Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) added a new mountain-range finder and medicine wheel installation atop Peets Hill…

A marathon of influence. It’s safe to say that when we pass, we hope to leave some kind of legacy, big or small. Through her loyalty, goodwill, and zeal, that’s exactly what Kay Newman did—especially within the Bozeman…

Making climbing fun again. With the release of Free Solo, the introduction of sport climbing in the Olympics, and the explosion of a billion-dollar industry, rock climbing is the worst-kept secret in outdoor recreation.…

A mobile waterfowl-hunting setup. You can successfully hunt waterfowl on foot, but aficionados of the sport wouldn’t contemplate existence without a duck boat. On a recent duck-hunting road-trip, I found myself continually…

The fledgling days of Bozeman’s raptor expert. If you’ve ever spent a fall day watching hawks and eagles fly south, you’re likely familiar with the work of Steve Hoffman. In 1986, he formed a nonprofit called the Western…

Revisiting the Gallatin, 40 years later. The summer that Mike and I flew out to Montana to be trout bums for a week, I told him about a pool on the Gallatin River, about midway between Big Sky and West Yellowstone, that I…

The mushrooms at the end of a Montana rainbow. Have you ever gone searching for the pot of gold at the end of a rainbow? The fairy tales make it look easy, but I can assure you it’s not. My brother and I went looking last…

Repeat O/B chump, UPOM, is losing the state's favor. Chumps Spend much time in central Montana, and you’ll see “Save the Cowboy” signs protesting American Prairie’s gradual accumulation of ranches across the region. Well,…

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A macro focus on fall leaves. The brilliance of autumn colors always overwhelms me. Leaves are sheer reds and golds and can be covered by a white deluge of snow, sometimes plunging limbs into back-breaking arches. It’s…

The over-housed are running and ruining our town. Open your eyes: Bozeman is frequented by a rootless upper class that is perpetually on the move, crashing only momentarily at their Bozeman properties while on their way to…

Reflections on a transformative hunt. In your mind’s eye, imagine a hunter. What you probably see is not me. I’m a river guide, and if that doesn’t paint a clear enough picture of my appearance, then perhaps my eight-year…

Device-charging batteries come in all shapes and sizes these days, but NestOut has created something truly different—and truly nifty, which is a word I don't use lightly (nobody should, really). Their Power Bank 5000mAh is…

I’ve always been a little leery of slip-on boots. They look cozy, but for a long time I figured they wouldn’t stand up to any real hiking. The Highwood Boot from Schnee’s, however, has completely changed my mind. These 17-…

We're all spoiled rotten these days, what with our high-performance gear, cushy sleep pads, lightweight shelters, and warm & waterproof clothing. The latest upgrade to our increasingly luxurious outdoor experience comes…

What's a water knife, you ask? It's a bladed companion for all your waterborne excursions, be it a day in the driftboat, a week-long summer raft trip, or an autumn overnight in the canoe. Designed to handle extreme…

After years of hunting and scouting with my rickety, fragile tripod, I’d resigned myself to a choice between strong and light. Until I tried out Aziak's Backcountry Lite Tripod ($275) and Backcountry Lite Ball Head ($75),…

Like the antebellum South, pre–Crazy Creek camping—that is, the time before compact, foldable camp chairs—seems utterly dark and foreign to us moderns. Indeed, it was a tipping point (so to speak), and there's no going back…

You know you're arrived when you get genericized—meaning, people refer to all products in a general category using your specific name. (Think Kleenex, Thermos, Q-Tip, and Frisbee, among others.) These "proprietary eponyms"…

A few years ago, Exped changed the car-camping game with its MegaMat series; no longer did a night in the woods mean discomfort or lack of sleep. Indeed, my own MegaMat Duo, when inflated properly, is damn near as comfy as…

For decades, baselayers were an afterthought, with most outdoor folk just grabbing whatever was at hand—a random cotton shirt, a thin wool chamise, maybe a polyester tee from a 5k if one was expecting to sweat a lot.…

I bought my first pair of Muck boots before starting a job as a ranch hand when I was 19 years old. Over ten years later and I’m still wearing ’em. But a decade of hard use—and some questionable decisions—has resulted in a…

I’m a man of layers. Maybe not emotionally, but when it comes to the outdoors, I’m packin’ some with me 12 months out of the year. I wear everything from my grandpa’s old Woolrich to fancy new Gore-Tex shells, and I can…

I’m not going to lie: the first thing that drew me to Stio's Azura Insulated Jacket was the pop of the coat's color. The fact that it’s a great base-layer under my ski shell and a solid stand-alone jacket for hiking is just…

Picking what layers to wear in the fall can be a challenge. Temps can go from near freezing to 70-plus some days, which makes the Gila LS Hoodie from Kuiu a great choice. The Gila utilizes cooling fabric and is highly…

Across the board, sleeping pads aren’t the sexiest piece of gear, but forget a pad once and the necessity because apparent—usually in the form of a sore back. For years, I rocked a classic folding foam pad and called it…

The shooting range is where Wiley X first made an impression on me—the comfortable, lightweight, crystal-clear glasses protected my eyes without fogging up, improving my aim on long days under the hot sun. Years later, they…

With epic races like the Biggie and the Rut, Big Sky is quite the haven for mountain competitions. The adventures off the clock are pretty much unlimited, too. LMNT seems to have caught on, so they’re moving their…

When it comes to layers for trail running, hunting, or summer scouting, I’m always trying to find the balance between weight and warmth. I want a jacket that I can throw in my pack and forget about until a freak snowstorm…

As posited by Occam's Razor, the simplest solution is often the best one. Mountain Khakis surely followed this dictum in designing their Roan Sun Hoodie. I've tested more sun hoodies than I'd care to admit, but each one of…

Trustworthy boots are an essential possession for anyone who lives in Bozeman and likes to mix it up in the mountains, and for my first few months here, my old medium-cut, medium-quality hiking shoes weren’t cutting it.…

Homemade, woodfired pizza making just got a whole lot easier with the Pi Dual Fuel Essential Bundle from Solo Stove. No more fumbling over the BBQ, trying to keep the crust from burning while the cheese won’t melt. The…

As Flannery O'Connor's famous story imparts, a good man is hard to find. So too with a good knife. Especially these days, in our never-ending obsession with cheap, disposable crap. Luckily, quality always rises to the top,…

Finally, a raincoat that's not too light, not too heavy, not too loud & krinkly, and that fits well, allowing full freedom of movement—that's what I found with the FlyLow Trailworks Jacket, as I wore it hiking, shed…

In the cold spring and fall months, my hands are one of the first things to get cold. I can remember times where I’ve needed to stop on the side of the trail during a chilly mountain bike descent just to get some feeling…

When it comes to outdoor apparel, it pays to take note of those who spend the most time in the elements: animals. Few materials rival the natural wonders found in wool. Alpaca wool, in particular, is renowned for its…

Effectiveness versus weight: it’s a conundrum most backpackers reckon with when buying gear. With the new Petzl SWIFT RL Headlamp, outdoor recreators no longer have to choose between the two when it comes to lighting.…

When it comes to backcountry saws, there's one company you’ll see on every list: Silky. They make the saws that nearly every contestant on the TV show Alone chooses to bring into the wilderness. When you’re only allowed 10…

It's easy to forget, living in brand-name Bozeman, that you don't have to spend a month's rent to get a decent outdoor garment. Take the Heat Holders Original Zip Jacket, for example. For a mere $45, you can deck yourself…

Compact, strong, and versatile, the Gerber Prybrid Utility Clip is one handy little knife. It slices, it pries, it screws, it cuts cord, it opens bottles, it clips to your pocket or belt... the only thing the Prybrid doesn'…

Chasing big game around the steep mountains of southwest Montana is challenging, especially during general season, when every Joe Shmo with a rifle is out doing the same thing. My strategy? Walk as far as I can. Although…

After working at a butcher shop one fall and having access to their industrial-grade machinery, I forever swore off grinding my own wild game. We're talking two minutes for an entire elk, versus hours of stuffing chunks…

Pounds make pain, and indeed, it’s hard to refute this age-old backpacker saying. But what if your goal is to walk out of the woods with as much weight as your trembling legs can carry? Mystery Ranch addressed this question…

Just over 150 years ago, Montana’s Crow Indian tribe signed a treaty with the United States government reducing their vast lands from 38 million to 8 million acres. Sadly, the agreement forever ended the Crow’s nomadic…

Local author James Wolf’s No Good Day to Die (Evans & McDaniel, $30) journeys from 1851 to 1945 in real settings, but with a fictional plot. Within the exposition’s curveballs and intense action, we find ourselves…

Ever wondered why Indian arrowheads are shaped the way they are? Or how ancient containers were made out of animal stomachs? Then look no further than Larry Lahren’s Homeland: An Archaeologist’s View of Yellowstone Country’…

Yellowstone’s wolves are getting smart these days. With trapping and hunting pressure mounting on the edge of the Park, these adaptable animals are staying well within the preserve, forcing hunters to push the boundaries—of…

Bozeman author Dave Carty’s new novel, Red Is the Fastest Color (Guernica, $18), may not start out overly sanguine, but it gradually gains velocity, and by the end it’s a rosy-red barn-burner. Set in the slow-moving Shields…