Wildlife blog
Wildlife blog Wildlife blog

Rooting for the underdogs

At West Green's Lake It's another day on the water in the middle of nowhere, and it's perfect. The deep blue sky overhead, the swirling river against the boat's hull, and the shouts of excitement when we find another fish — they're all part of a larger quest. We've launched a new project to conserve the roundtail chub and hopefully prevent an endangered species listing.

"Fishy" behavior alerts officers

Cutthroat trout As a relatively new conservation officer, I've encountered some wild fishing enforcement cases in the past couple of years. Here are a few that really stood out.

The strategy and science behind fish stocking

Tiger muskie fingerlings "Why did you stock that species of fish in that water?" is one of the most common questions I get as a fisheries professional. That question is usually followed by "And, why did you stock the fish at that size?"

"A shiver went down my spine."

Justin and Jaquel with Steve's elk head One day, I received a voicemail from a fellow officer who'd been contacted by a man with an incredible story. He claimed that he'd wounded a bull elk on the mountain in the fall of 2012, and his bull had just been found — six years later.

Interview with a first-time duck hunter

Young hunter holding ducks As a kid, I was not the typical girl who got excited about manicures and pedicures with mom. Instead, I'd spend all evening packing hunting and fishing gear so my dad and I could get outdoors the next morning.

Give the gift of outdoor adventure

A family viewing elk at Hardware Ranch If you're in search of Christmas gifts for the outdoor adventurers in your life, here's an idea: Skip the stuff and give the gift of an experience instead.

Getting to know your garden looters

Two gardensnails on a brick wall Under the cover of darkness and a misty rain, the army emerges and begins its slow, steady march toward the garden oasis.

Channeling my inner Hobbit

Scott holding a forest grouse My favorite reason for hunting forest grouse (also called dusky and ruffed grouse) is because I absolutely love hiking through their majestic, forested home.
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