http://www.newwest.net/topic/main/C83/L40/ New West Network: The Voice of the Rocky Mountains en info@newwest.net Copyright 2008 Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:58 MDT Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:49:58 MDT http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/stop_and_enjoy_western_birds/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/stop_and_enjoy_western_birds/C83/L40/ Fri, 13 Jun 2008 09:47:00 MDT As an unofficial birdwatcher – the kind who doesn’t carry a little notebook and camera while tramping through woods – I sometimes get a geeky thrill out of the visitors to my backyard bird feeders. Last week a neon-yellow and red Western Tanager stopped by for thistle seed. Out on a dogwalk, more of them sang in the trees along the Boise river. Zing! went the strings of my bird-lovers heart. This morning, the Idaho Statesman’s outdoor writer Pete Zimowsky informs us that the tanagers are migrating, and other Rocky Mountain western states are enjoying the migration, too. I thought it was just my optimist's mind imagining a dramatic increase in bird life along the streams and in the trees of my riverfront neighborhood, but Zimo says it's everywhere. We are awakened every morning now by birdsong, and instead of the usual two or three chirpers, there are dozens, singing and trilling and calling and scolding. Keep your eyes open for the Tanagers, not to mention the state bird of Montana and Oregon, the yellow Western Meadowlark, Idaho’s Mountain Bluebird, and Colorado’s Lark Bunting. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/backyard_temporarily_closed_due_to_unprecedented_demand/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/backyard_temporarily_closed_due_to_unprecedented_demand/C83/L40/ Fri, 16 May 2008 15:07:01 MDT It’s taken me ten years to convince our backyard streamside wildlife that our deck is a safe place with cozy nests, old trees full of interesting holes, and quantities of healthy bird seed, squirrel chow, duck corn, and approved tidbits. This year, they all got the message, and the animal energy I wanted has finally arrived. Lately, things are zoo-like. The cat brings snakes in through the cat door. One of my nine squirrels, Itchy, is too bold, and comes into the kitchen to say “Hey! Empty feeder out here!” http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/going_to_the_dogs_in_missoula/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/going_to_the_dogs_in_missoula/C83/L40/ Sat, 19 Apr 2008 12:27:00 MDT I don’t know why so many dog owners believe that leash laws apply only to someone else, although I guess most of us have at least a law or two we choose to disregard, even if it’s only a speed limit. Arguably one good reason to disobey leash laws is to be able to give your dog more exercise than you’d otherwise have time for, if you don’t live next door to Jacobs Island Park, although another way of looking at this situation would be that, if you don’t have time to drive to Jacobs Island Park on a regular basis, maybe you don’t have time to own a dog. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/puppy_love_on_valentines_day/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/puppy_love_on_valentines_day/C83/L40/ Thu, 14 Feb 2008 06:00:00 MDT “You Can’t Hurry Love” serenades shoppers from the PA system as a middle-aged woman stops to eye the Pet Smart Valentine’s Day display, overflowing with heart-shaped squeak toys, pink dog beds embroidered with hearts, and sleeveless dresses for the dainty pooch. Turns out Valentine's Day is a popular holiday for pet owners. “People kind of treat their dogs like their kids,” says store manager Jason McCulloch. One pet lover says, “That’s what happens when you get old and crazy and your kids go away." http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/elk_and_deer_close_to_freeway/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/elk_and_deer_close_to_freeway/C83/L40/ Thu, 07 Feb 2008 11:28:01 MDT Herds of elk and deer are foraging for food along the main artery through Boise: Interstate 84. Just northeast of Boise, they are also very close to Highway 21, which is the road to Idaho City and the Sawtooths. These particular elk and deer are hungry, and they are very, very close to the highways. News cameras out last night caught them just yards away from cars whizzing by. Here at NewWest/Boise, we've tried to report on elk news as often as possible, but this...gets right down to an actual request on behalf of the creatures: Please do not poke at, disturb, whack, smack or smash the elk. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/state_and_federal_agencies_indicate_this_winter_could_be_busy_for_bison_man/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/state_and_federal_agencies_indicate_this_winter_could_be_busy_for_bison_man/C83/L40/ Thu, 06 Dec 2007 13:32:00 MDT Bison are powerful American icons and stir deep emotions in many different people. The Interagency Bison Management Plan (IBMP) meeting in Bozeman last Tuesday night was testament to this; dreadlocks and cowboy hats commingled as officials from federal and state agencies presented an update on the IBMP and answered an array of questions on what they predicted the coming winter would hold for Yellowstone’s bison. In panel discussions and public discussion sessions with the IBMP’s five signatory agencies, officials had one overarching message: all agencies would be fully implementing the IBMP this winter, including – if necessary – the costly and controversial practices of hazing and slaughtering bison who wander out of the park. Bison, elk and many other mammals carry the disease brucellosis, which showed up in a Montana cattle herd this summer. Though the Department of Livestock (DOL) says the transmission likely came from elk, if another cattle herd tests positive before May 2009 Montana will lose its brucellosis free status, and the DOL will not be taking any chances with bison. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/baby_bear_captured_in_boise_school_playing_field/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/baby_bear_captured_in_boise_school_playing_field/C83/L40/ Wed, 19 Sep 2007 18:26:00 MDT Idaho Department of Fish and Game biologists Wednesday afternoon, September 19, successfully captured a yearling black bear at East Junior High School in Boise. East J.H. is near the corner of Warm Springs and Broadway Avenues, one of the main gateways into downtown Boise. Had Little Bear the urge for a cappucino and some boutique shopping, a mere stroll would have done it. The bear, about 18 months old and about 50 pounds, had been chased up a tree by residents of an apartment building west of the school. Boise police officers and school officials helped keep him treed until help arrived – first the fire department and then Fish and Game biologists Steve Nadeau, the agency’s large carnivore coordinator, and wildlife biologist Jon Rachael. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/hooves_of_gold_stomachs_of_iron/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/hooves_of_gold_stomachs_of_iron/C83/L40/ Wed, 05 Sep 2007 10:09:00 MDT I was riding my bike over the weekend on the bike path through CU's Research Park when I came upon a herd of goats. Grazing away in the brush along the creek, hooved and horned, with a dozen or so interested spectators of the human variety. I pulled up and talked to their herder, a weathered, friendly woman named Lou Colby. After we chatted a few minutes I asked her where her permanent base is. "Well, don't have one right now." This took a minute to sink in. So, do they live in hotels or what? http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/a_grasshopper_grower_is_born/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/a_grasshopper_grower_is_born/C83/L40/ Tue, 24 Jul 2007 11:28:01 MDT Though I sometimes fancy myself a farmer, grasshoppers are my most abundant crop. I was complimented on my produce just the other day. If I’d been dressed in sales attire, I could have showed the nice lady my mandarin orange grasshoppers or my khaki camel grasshoppers with the "Iraqi Storm" tank build. The way they are chomping down on my petunias I wouldn’t be surprised to discover the first white grasshopper with pink pinwheels. Even casual observers can quickly recognize that grasshopper growing is my vocation; my hollyhocks have that Swiss cheese look that indicates contented grasshoppers. And you know what they say about contented grasshoppers. http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/how_to_free_a_dog_from_a_traps_grip/C83/L40/ http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/how_to_free_a_dog_from_a_traps_grip/C83/L40/ Sat, 30 Jun 2007 11:55:00 MDT Long summer evenings in Missoula, Montana offer no dearth of activities for public participation, and weekends only increase the abundant options. Deciding which event to forego is the usual summer dilemma. Full schedules notwithstanding, some 60 people gathered Friday evening to learn about animal trapping on public land and—more specifically—how to free their companion dogs should they tangle with a trap. The free, public service workshop was offered by Footloose Montana, an organization newly-formed in response to increasing conflicts between people, their dogs, and traps set on public land.