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PUNISH THE VIOLATORS, NOT THE INDUSTRY

I've been on the Montana Beer Trail for six months now, visiting 19 of our 24 microbreweries so far and writing profiles of their business operations for the Microbrew Montana series currently running on NewWest.Net and the Travel Montana website.

Besides being constantly reminded of the passion the brewmasters have for their product, I've been amazed how well this micro-segment of our economy is faring in the face of today's economic downturn. All Montana microbreweries are all running profitably at capacity, experiencing double-digit growth, or doing major expansions. Three new breweries opened in 2007.

So why does the Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) want to knock down the microbrewing industry? Has it been too successful? [more]

NEED A GOOD LAUGH THAT ISN'T FUNNY?

It has been depressing lately, don't you think? At the ORG (Old Retired Guys) table at the coffee shop morning after morning, it has been nothing but despair -- the war, the economy, the cost of gas, the steadily shrinking IRAs, the smoke, the aches and pains and health care crisis that makes them worse, and our political leaders unable to do anything about these and most other issues that really matter, at least to the ORGs. Nowadays, it's so hard to lighten up and wear a smiley face.

But alas, thanks to the Montana Stockgrowers Association and Montana Farm Bureau I had a great laugh this week when I read about their proposal to capture, test, vaccinate and release all the elk from coming out of Yellowstone National Park.

Are they serious? Or just trying to brighten our day? [more]

EXTORTION OF THE MASSES?

A new video produced by Aaron Johnnson, a long-time recreational user of Mount Evans in the Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest in Colorado, is creating quite a stir down in the Centennial State. Johnson takes no prisoners in its criticism of the Forest Service (FS), calling the program "scandalous and extortionist."

The video, almost 8 minutes long and titled "Mount Evans Illegal Fee Program," has been posted on YouTube.Com and already has a five-star rating.

Johnson works for summitpost.org has is a frequent hiker and climber in the Mount Evans area, and did the video at his own expense. [more]

MICROBREW MONTANA

Of all Montana breweries, the taproom at Blackfoot River Brewing in Helena is one of the most popular, commonly crowded with devoted craft beer aficionados even on sweltering summer days when the inside temperatures climb so high the servers spray customers with plant misters to cool them off. But on a day soon to be determined, probably in the last week in August, Blackfoot's tiny tasting room will be rocking and stuffed with loyals for the last time because it will be the Grand Closing.

The thought of it might give the Helena microbrew faithful heart attacks, but fear not. The Blackfoot isn't closing. Not hardly. It's merely moving. For the owners, it's a big move, but not for customers because it's only fifteen feet to the south.

Some customers have joked that the new home of Blackfoot River Brewing, which is nearly completed, looks like a church, and co-owner Brian Smith agrees, sort of, because he calls it "The Temple of Malt."

"And did I mention we'll have A/C," he adds. [more]

SASKATCHEWAN FISHING LODGES

If you like fishing for warm-water species, as I do, you probably dream about going to Canada where fish like the northern pike and walleye are revered, not considered an invasive pestilence, as they often are in trout country.

Over each of the past four years, I've been fortunate enough to travel to northern Saskatchewan (click here for those trips) and with the assistance of Tourism Saskatchewan, I had another opportunity to visit Pike Mecca after the recent conference of the Outdoor Writers Association of America, held in late June in Bismarck, North Dakota.

Read on because you might not believe what we caught. [more]

IT'S TOUGH BEING GREEN, BUT WE CAN DO IT

Anybody who follows the endlessly volatile wolf issue--and it's hard not to follow it with all the news coverage--knows the greens won a big victory last week. Judge Donald Molloy of the U.S. District Court sided with Earthjustice and 12 conservation organizations and essentially relisted, albeit temporarily, the wolf as an endangered species.

So, what now? That's the question I've been asking people on both sides of the debate this week, and I might have the answer, a way to quickly get the wolf debate behind us. Does that sound good? [more]

MICROBREW MONTANA

Carter's Brewing of Billings is on the rails, right out the back door, in fact.

At Carter's, one of Montana's newest breweries, it's not only about making craft beer, but also about railroads and trains. If you're into railway culture and history, and happen to enjoy great microbrew, add this taproom to your pub crawl. [more]

MORE FISHING TOURNAMENTS SPAWN MORE FISHING FOR ALL

If you've been reading the outdoor section of NewWest.Net over the past week, you'll know I've been writing about the experience of being in my first fishing tournament, the Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament on Fort Peck Reservoir.

One reason I haven't been in a tournament long ago is some false impressions I had about competitive fishing, mainly my concern that it had a negative impact on fishery. Based on my limited experience, it seems that the opposite is true. Now, I believe more tournaments would mean more fishing and bigger fish for all anglers. [more]

GOVERNOR'S cUP wALLEYE tOURNAMENT

They say you get older and wiser. Well, of late, I've seen a lot of older, but not much wiser--except Bud-weiser, of course.

That's how it was on the second and final day of my first fishing tournament, the Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament on Fort Peck Reservoir.

Case in point. When I decided to enter the tournament, I had a plan. Unlike my younger, more competitive days when I tried to beat everybody in any event I entered, my plan for my first fishing tournament was to beat somebody.

Then, unexpectedly, after a respectable 12th-place showing after the first day, I started to develop a new plan--beating a lot of veteran tournament anglers and perhaps even pulling the big upset and getting, as they say, "in the money," which means the top 16 places out of 80 teams.

Let's just say, bad idea, Bill. [more]

GOVERNOR'S CUP WALLEYE TOURNAMENT

This was the first day of the rest of my fishing tournament life. It was supposed to be yesterday, but Mother Nature stepped in and called a "wind day."

Today, the wind was slightly less severe, so the good folks in charge of the Governor's Cup Walleye Tournament decided to go ahead. Now, that the day is over, and I'm back at the historic Fort Peck Hotel writing, it feels like a good decision. But when I was out there on that massive Fort Peck Reservoir "riding the bull" I wasn't so sure. [more]

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