Warren Illi: Flathead Outdoors
Explore Warren Illi’s Flathead Outdoors column, offering seasoned insight into Northwest Montana’s wildlife, hunting, fishing, and outdoor traditions. His writing highlights local ecosystems, regulations, seasonal activities, and decades of field experience across Northwest Montana.
A modern arsenal for ice fishing
The recent cold weather has been very welcome for those of us that like to ice fish.
Montana elk management
The best part of Northwest Montana’s archery hunting season for elk will come in two weeks when bull elk will lose much of their normal caution and instinct for survival during the peak of the annual rut.
Early fall hunting, fishing awaits
For the outdoor person or family, the coming weeks will offer many more outdoor recreation opportunities as the summer season winds down and we move into early fall hunting.
Good pay and good fishing
Here it is, mid-July, and we aren’t breathing unhealthy air from forest fires. We can be thankful for a cool wet spring, so lots of forest vegetation is still mostly green, not yet burnable.
Delicious kokanee
For those of us that like to fish or eat fresh fish, July is the ideal time in Northwest Montana to enjoy a fish fry of delicious kokanee salmon.
Spring water safety
During the last couple of weeks there have been three tragic drownings of local folks enjoying some of Northwest Montana’s rivers and lakes.
Turkey season
It’s springtime in the Flathead. Similar to the fall season, the outdoor person has many choices of what to do in the great Flathead outdoors.
Online hassle
For Montana hunters, both resident and nonresident hunters, March is time to do some heavy duty planning for the 2022 fall hunting season.
Thompson Chain of Lakes easement
It’s still wintertime in the Flathead, but spring is just around the corner - I hope. This past couple of weeks have been busy for many of us that hunt, fish and hike in the great Flathead Outdoors.
Strength in numbers
Is the end of all hunting, fishing and trapping in sight?
Elk Management
I am always amused by citizens that say all wildlife management should be science based.
Outdoors columnist bags big bull elk
Hunting with me was my guide, Brett and a hunting facilitator, Greg, who books hunts for an outfitter named Bob Walker.
Thanksgiving traditions
Happy Thanksgiving! This is one, if not the happiest weekends of the year for me.
Hunter's dream season is here
The best half of our five-week deer rifle season is ahead.
Opening day, it's here at last
Over 100,000 other Montana hunters and non-resident hunters will enjoy Montana’s millions of acres of public land and private land open to public hunting this Saturday.
Making sense of FWP hunt proposals
To say that Montana hunting regulations are complicated would be a gross understatement. So, FWP’s goal of simplifying hunting regulations is a very worthwhile goal. I wish them well.