Page 30 - North 40 Outfitters

It’s that time of the year—our North 40 stores are about to fill with a little extra noise and bustle, and you’re sure to hear a chirp or two when wandering the aisles. That’s because—you guessed it—the chicks are coming to North 40 Outfitters, beginning at our Spokane, Washington location in mid-February. Chose your local North 40 location from the list below for arrival dates Chickens in Idaho February 16th: Coeur d'Alene, Idaho February 21st: Lewiston, Idaho February 21st: Ponderay, Idaho Chickens in Washington February 14th: Spokane, Washington February 28th: Mead, Washington February 20th: Colville, Washington March 7th: Omak, Washington March 1st: Moses Lake, Washington Chickens in Montana March 1st: Havre, Montana March 6th: Great Falls, Montana Each North 40 store will offer a v...

When Skunks Mate they are More Smelly We are more aware of skunks in spring and summer, but they're quite active February through March, a lesson my dog, Dida, and I learned the hard way. Though skunks sleep deeply for 3.5 months at a time, they are not true hibernators. Male skunks will leave their dens during warm spells seeking females for mates. Their mating season is typically February through March, but it really depends on winter conditions. Nocturnal by nature, males will travel up to five miles under the protection of dark. Skunks use their odor as defense, and are extra smelly during the mating season as male skunks will spray each other, plus disapproving females also spray males away. With no natural predators, skunks go about their business care-free as most wildlife is keenly aware of what that odor means. Dogs Don't Run Aw...

Picachos Dia Dos The knock, knock at the door comes at 5:15 a.m. with coffee service as requested.  Dan Falcon likes his coffee with three splashes of cream, stirred to the left.  I’m good with plain black.  Our hosts do not disappoint.  Breakfast is buffet style with eggs made to order.  I loaded my plate with fresh pineapple, mango, potatoes, bacon and a two-egg omelet stuffed with everything. The guides are already waiting with the boats and before you can even get to the bathroom or brush your teeth, they’ve got rods and gear loaded and are ready to shove off as soon as you can collect yourself.  You can hang out and drink coffee as long as you want, or you can head out in the dark and be fishing as daylight begins to break.  I love mornings.  When I’m up before the dawn, I know I’m not missing anything.  I relish cas...

Many folks have the misconception that “flies” are only for the angler wading waist deep in the water waving a stick back and forth. Flies have been utilized in different manners over the years, they’re often used as components in many forms of tackle craft. For example, the infamous Rooster Tail in-line spinners use palmered hackles around a treble. Similarly, Mepps traditionally uses squirrel tail in the trailing treble. Though these are often very basic adaptations to conventional tackle, the techniques used to tie these materials to a hook still follows the same principles as many of the more intricate fly patterns used with a fly rod and reel. Out of all the “non-fly-fishing flies”, trolling flies are (in my opinion) some of the most fun to tie and create. Let your imagination lead you when finding your perfect color combin...

A submerged tree was blocking our path along a steep shoreline we'd successfully been working. As our guide piloted the boat around it, I took a risk. I cast my double twisty fly rig into a saddle between limbs. I let them sink as long as I dared. As soon as I tightened the line, I felt resistance. I reared back on the 8-weight, expecting to quickly "bass" another two-pounder from snag infested waters. Instead, my arms were jacked back down. I buckled in and jacked them back up. I felt my line rubbing on a branch and added even more pressure before the water erupted with a huge bucket mouth. My guide’s mouth erupted in kind with a bunch of expletives, as he lunged for the net. I kept the rod loaded to the limit, stretching 20 lb. FC and stressing a size 1 jig hook to the max. As the bass tail walked toward my pressure, the hook blinked ...

Coeur d'Alene River The flow is 1,010 cfs and dropping at Cataldo.  Well, with the mild winter folks have been taking advantage of the fishing opportunities.  We have seen temperatures lately close to the 50s and mid-40s with very little snow in the low elevations.  The river flows have been fantastic too with really no ice to speak of either unless you get really far up the river.  The upcoming forecast is calling for cooler temperatures in the high 30s and low 40s which is still fair game in the trout world.  There is no real need to get out early. You’ll want to hit the river midday when the water has had a chance to warm up and get the fish as active as they are going to get this time of year. We have been getting rather decent reports of folks nymphing with 6-plus fish days and, for this time of year, that is not bad for...

Mix. Heat. Eat. Molly & You Cake Singles are a fast and easy-to-make treat that only take 90 seconds to bake in the microwave. Fun for after-school treats, or sweet gifts, this cake-in-a-cup confection comes in flavors like; Salted Caramel, Ooey-Gooey Chocolate, and Celebration. Watch the video below to learn more.   Mercedes: Hi, I'm Mercedes   Nancy: And I'm Nancy and we're from Molly and You. We are so excited to introduce you to our 90-second mug cakes, aren't we?   Mercedes: Yes, did you know you can make cake in the microwave in just 90-seconds?   Nancy: Your biggest problem is going to be which flavor. There are seven different flavors to choose from. I'm choosing my favorite, which is celebration and all you do is rip open the package and pour it into the cup and then you add three tablespoons of w...

Featuring an all leather upper and three-speed lacing design, Itaska Federal Hiking Boots have a waterproof, breathable membrane. Plus, aggressive traction on the outsole makes the Federal ideal for those rugged treks across rocky, wet terrain. Watch the video below to learn more.    This is the Itaska Federal Hiker. This hiker here is packed with an all leather, full-grain upper. It does have a waterproof, breathable membrane. And just like the last one that I spoke to, it is waterproof and breathable right up to where it is actually sewn through the gusset, and it has actually stitched into this upper which in this case is right going along where my finger is.   It does have the three-speed lace quick lacing design to it, upgraded hardware for durability, and a very very aggressive traction rubber outsole on there. &nbs...

I was sitting behind my vise the other day working on restocking my fly boxes for the upcoming year. I have found that tying flies lets me think about several things. I had just finished up tying a run of leech patterns. Looking at the half dozen fly boxes I thought to myself, “that's a lot of flies”. There was quite a collection of different patterns in front of me that would handle most waters I fish. Then I asked myself the question, “if I had to choose just one fly to use all the time for a year, what would it be?” Have you ever wondered that yourself? Did you ever think about what fly you would choose if you could only fish just one? North 40 Omak Fly Shop Manager, Keith Roe, posed the question to all our fly shop managers and here is what each of them picked. Taylor Hess - Sandpoint, ID - Sean Weir's Mustard Green #14-18 As ...

Walking a tradeshow floor can be quite overwhelming especially if you are trying to seek out the best new products for bowhunting. Check out our Top 5 Bow picks from this year’s ATA At this year’s ATA 2019 show, we spent a lot of time scouring the show in search of something that is actually new. In no particular order, here are our best of show choices: Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45 and Beartooth 80 Packs Mystery Ranch has once again stepped up their game with a new Guide Lite MT Frame on their new line of packs.  The Guide Lite MT frame features a 5-piece segmented belt with higher cushioning than their traditional frame.  The segmented belt gives the hiker/hunter more comfort, especially when carrying a heavy load. Mystery Ranch Sawtooth 45 Pack  Mystery Ranch Beartooth 80 Pack  Muzzy One Broadhead The new Muzzy One Broad...

The Archery Trade Association show (ATA) is the largest archery and bowhunting tradeshow in the industry with over 9,000 total attendees and more than 650 exhibitors. Every year, North 40 Outfitters sends a team to discover the latest industry innovations and check out the newest gear we just can’t wait to get our hands on. Looking for the most innovative bows? Order online here. For us, this year is unlike any other when it comes to the archery industry.  Instead of bow manufacturers waiting for the ATA show to release their new bows, most of them released them in the fall of 2018.  This made it super helpful for us to know what we were going into; however, we did find a few surprises.  We had the chance to shoot every bow from every bow manufacturer side by side.  In no particular order, here is our list of the top 5 Bows from ATA...

Back by popular demand, Missouri River Fly Fishers are proud to present the F3T Fly Fishing Film Tour in Great Falls, Montana.  It has been a few years since the F3T has been here, but with the Do Bar Banquet Hall venue lined up for the showing, it should be a blast! There will also be raffles for some amazing prizes too. F3T Fly Fishing Film Tour Event Details When: Friday, January 25th. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Where: The Do Bar Banquet Hall located at 1800 3rd Street Northwest Great Falls, MT Cost: Tickets are $15.00 and are available at the Great Falls North 40 Fly Shop 2019 Fly Fishing Film Tour Lineup Highlights Movements – A Colin Scott Film | Wilder Studios Production • Three Alaska fishing guides finish their 100+ day guiding season and road trip back to their home waters on the East Coast in �...