Outdoors
What's there to do in the great outdoors? Here we've got a bevy of local outdoor activities and destinations to explore.
Pair do well at rifle competition
Two members of the Kootenai Valley Junior Rifle Team traveled to Spokane on Nov. 2 to participate in the first mat…
Autumn's arrival in Boundary County!
Driving this weekend along the Kootenai River, past Deep Creek to the Selkirk Mountains, up Myrtle Creek road and through the Burton Creek drainage, I felt a s…
Bald-faced hornets and their complex paper nests
Recently I was traveling mid-morning along the Kootenai River when suddenly my attention was captured by the sun’s reflection on a gray shiny dome the size of …
Banded woolly bear: Predictor of winter weather?
The banded woolly bear caterpillar is the larval form of Pyrrharctia isabella, the Isabella tiger moth. Typically, the bands at the ends of the caterpillar are…
Praying mantis: An appetite for other insects
If you wonder how the Praying Mantis got their name, just look at them. They have very long front legs that they hold in a position that reminds people of pray…
Western clematis: A perennial vine decorating the Kootenai River
The banks of the Kootenai River and streams bulge with lush vegetation. These riparian plants prevent erosion and filter stormwater runoff, helping to keep wat…
MUSKRATS: Rodents that are excellent swimmers
On a cloudy morning beside a grassy canal on the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge parallel to the Kootenai River I observed a muskrat busily swimming and inspecting th…
IDFG plans Youth Waterfowl Hunting opportunity
The Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG) has a mentored waterfowl hunting opportunities for youth aged 10-15. The hunt is planned for September 30, the opening day of the annual youth-only waterfowl season.
White-Breasted Nuthatch: A dapper bird!
It was a bright sunny day a few weeks ago and I was walking the Chickadee Trail at the Kootenai Wildlife Refuge north of the district office. I had heard repor…
No headline
No headline
Garter snakes: Good for the garden!
Recently I saw a garter snake about three feet long wriggling across my driveway, probably going from one flower garden to another. I quickly retrieved my came…
No headline
The 'Longhorn' of the beetle family
Last week while barbecuing on my patio I was suddenly alarmed by an uninvited guest that flew in and landed on my pavers beside the table next to the grill. Th…
Painted turtles: A colorful sight basking in the sun
In the spring and summer I enjoy the sighting of Painted Turtles basking on limbs and logs while floating on a pond or lake. I often stop to study them; they m…
Wildlife spends their summer at Kootenai Wildlife Refuge
BONNERS FERRY — The hazy, hot days of summer have slowed the animal activity sightings at the Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge, but that has not stopped the t…