Page 6 - Outdoor

My name is Bryden Martinez.  I'm 10 years old.  My Dad took me to North 40 for some car parts and he let me buy some hiking socks for my birthday.  He says everyone needs socks for their birthday.  Smartwool was the name, in pink or blue.  I picked blue.  When we got home I tried them on and felt like I was in heaven!  They felt warm and I had a perfect amount of room for my toes to move. My friend and I went camping for my birthday, and I got to try them outside with my hiking shoes.  I felt like they were better to hike in than any other sock.  I tried them with my Keens too, and got them wet when we were making a pool in the creek next to our fort.  It was so hot out, so I just let my socks dry in the trees like my Dad sometimes does with his stuff.  They were dry pretty fast and I used them again at night to keep my feet ... Read more

What are you doing this Father's Day weekend? If you don't have plans, residents and visitors alike will be able to fish for free that weekend so if you don't know, now you know. This statewide tradition has been in effect since 2011, and will continue this Father's Day weekend, June 17th and 18th, 2017. We have equipment for gear fishers here and an entire site dedicated to fly fishing right here. Everyone can fish for free and we have some great employee resources. If you're interested, but haven't tried it out before, come in and ask about a setup to get you out this weekend and check out our #RippleEffect program designed to help new anglers get outfitted without breaking the bank. Remember to follow Montana's state regulations when you're out there. Here's some great waters to try out: Madison, Bighorn, Missouri, Bitterroot and ... Read more

You know it, we know it: Alpine Touch is the business. What you may not have known is that this local Montana company started in Whitefish out of a concrete mixer behind a grocery store. When Whitefish became too "touristy" for the owners, they went in search of a "quieter existence" and settled finally in Choteau, Montana. Who Owns Alpine Touch and Where are they Based? I got to catch up with Chad Ekegren, the owner of Alpine Touch and a dedicated small-town man, "What better place to live and work than on the Rocky Mountain front?" Chad bought Alpine Touch from the previous owners (Choteau residents as well) in a joint venture with his dad, the owner of a John Deere company in Choteau as well, "My family bleeds green and yellow." Here is our selection of Alpine Touch products you can order online. Chad went to school for a degree in bus... Read more

I'm not sure when exactly the transformation occurred, but at some point in my life socks went from being something that "required a thank you card" to "the must have item of the holidays." The reasons that drove such a transformation are highly debated, but regardless of how it happened, wrapping my feet in soft fluffy products rivals most of the other gifts that make their way down the chimney. If you are in the market for some summer socks, then we've got a wide selection right here.  The Smartwool Hiking Medium Crew Sock My most recent sock purchase was the Smartwool Hiking Medium Crew. I don't think it is necessary for me to divulge my "opening a new sock for the first time routine," just know that 1: I have such a routine, and 2: If you have not developed such a custom, I encourage you to do so. Upon completing said tradition, the... Read more

  North 40 Outfitters of Mead 1.) We live in an area here where we have great access to dozens of lakes, streams, rivers and a plentiful selection of game to hunt within a quick drive.  The spring turkey season is a big kickoff to the sporting season with fishing opening up at that time too. The deer and elk seasons in late summer/early fall also show big numbers of sportsmen. Fishing can be a year round thing here too, with limited waters open all year. This last ice fishing season was pretty much a bust around here due to the mild weather, but normally the northern lakes are a hit in January through February. There are also several places to coyote hunt year round to get that hunting fix when most other game seasons are closed. To sum it up, there is always some sort of sporting option in our area. 2.) I guess the first thing I ... Read more

North 40 Outfitters of Mead 1.) The area our Mead location is in offers a wide range of outdoor activities literally within minutes of our doors. From turkey hunting in the spring to ice fishing in the winter and everything in between. If it is something related to hunting, fishing, shooting, or any other activity you do outside, we're only minutes away from the action. 2.) I want our customers to know that while we offer a wide range of products, we also have a very knowledgeable staff behind the counter ready to assist with any questions or concerns related to hunting, fishing, shooting, etc. We also offer a full service archery shop, mounting and bore sighting rifle scopes, and we wind fishing line on reels. We really are a one stop shop. 3.) One product line that continues to surprise me is Vortex Optics. They have an unmatched warr... Read more

Having read an introductory piece on shed hunting, I thought it only natural to do a follow-up. I haven't actually been shed hunting on the Sun River WMA in many years.  May 15th usually finds me in a different and far more remote area of Montana on that particular day.  I'm usually carrying my bow or a rifle and looking for a spring bear, a shed antler or two, and enjoying the solitude of not running into people at every corner. The forecast for the 15th called for rain...lots of rain!  I know my way around the game range pretty well, and I honestly didn't think many people would brave the nasty weather, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  I was out of town before 5 am and the rain and fog started about half way to Augusta. Shed Hunting in Sun River, America: The Pre-Game My first stop was the east entrance, although it was not... Read more

First Family Activity this Father's Day? Prairie Dog Hunting. Last month I took my daughter, Lauren, out to our friend's ranch to shoot prairie dogs.  The morning started off perfect with a few clouds and very little wind.  She was shooting my new Savage 17 HMR, while I was alternating between my .223 and .22-250; we were racking up the kills between the two of us. Early in the afternoon, the clouds rolled in and the wind picked up, which was creating problems with the light bullets, and also sending the prairie dogs for the cover of their holes.  So we decided to take my chocolate lab, Justice, for a walk up the mountain and look for a few "shed" elk antlers. Want another great activity for Father's Day? We left the truck in the prairie dog town and headed toward the base of the mountains, which is typically a good transit... Read more

As we celebrate Earth Day by planting trees in a local area affected by last year's massive wildfire, we are quickly reminded how it has only been seven months since fires were engulfing the Methow valley-Carlton Complex. In July 2014 lightning strikes sparked four wildfires across a rather large area that would very quickly merge into the largest wildfire in Washington State history.  Leaving in its wake 256,108 acres of burnt land and destroying 300 homes. At one point there were over 3,000 firefighters actively working to contain the fire.  The National Guard was even called in to help efforts. I remember riding the bus to work and seeing convoys of military Humvees with Red Cross painted on them, driving through downtown like a parade.  People would, including myself, stare in speechless terror as they start to realize that this f... Read more

Last Friday our Firearms Dept. Lead in Sandpoint, Tanner Van Pelt, held a customer appreciation day in the form of a long range shoot.  The shoot was invite only and took place in Clark Fork Idaho, on the Ruen Ranch, with targets out to 1050 yards and shooting out to 1350 yards. We had steel targets at 100, 200, 500, 700, 820, 900, 950, & 1050 yards. 15-20 people showed up for our first ever shoot and there was lots of excitement to get underway.  There were a few shooters shooting .45-90 sharps out to 900 yards with peep sights and several guys showed up with .338 Lapuas testing their skill at the furthest targets. The shoot turned out to be a huge success and everyone had a great time. Thank you Tanner and Ruen Drilling for hosting such a great event. Read more

It starts like this: we were going to be out on the boat in the middle of a lake with absolutely no cover. The night before our trip I decided that I needed some kind of rain gear so that I wouldn't be completely miserable if it did rain. I talked with some of our clothing sales people at North 40, and they were talking up Frogg Toggs like it was the-be-all-end-all of anything rain gear saying how lightweight they were and how breathable they were and, "Oh yes, they are completely waterproof." You can check out our selection of Frogg Toggs online here. Well, what got me wasn't the fact that they are completely water proof but that they are breathable. I remember the days of the vinyl rain "slickers" and how they might keep the water off of you, but you're no better off because you are trapped inside of a plastic bubble sweating as much... Read more

I was privileged to field test a pair of MSR Evo snowshoes last week on an overnight hike to Tiffany Mountain, elevation 8200 in a sub-range at the eastern edge of the North Cascades about 25 linear miles northwest of Omak. I got a ride from Omak and began my walk up the North Fork of Salmon Creek from the mountain hamlet of Conconully. Low clouds and fog which overhung the Okanogan, seemingly for weeks, gave way to sunshine at Conconully, elevation 2300. I changed into a new pair of Merrell snowboots that were on clearance at North 40, and donned the Evo snowshoes at the Tiffany Lake Trail #373 trailhead, elevation 4800, a mile or so beyond Salmon Meadows, at about 2PM. The snow was paltry, maybe two feet, and was very rotten, making for some deep postholing and slow progress. I have snowshoed for about 25 years, usually several times ... Read more