Page 3 - Where We Live

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 about Free Father's Day Fishing Montana: June 17-18, 2017

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 about What is Alpine Touch? Find Out the History & How it Tastes

Mastering the art of welding can be a rewarding and useful skill.  Things break, and they need repaired around the ranch, farm, shop or home.  When it comes to metal repair, welding has long been the reliable and standard solution. But welding isn't something you just learn by reading a book or watching a few videos on the intrawebs. To really learn welding, you have to flip down your welding helmet and let the sparks fly. As my high school Ag-Ed teacher would say, "You gotta burn to learn." Lincoln Electric Welder Review: Some Background Information My high school mentor taught me many useful skills that are still with me today, but my overwhelming fear of electrical currents challenged him the most.  He taught me welding safety, how to correctly operate a welder and then watched until I was confident enough to explore on my own.  S... Read more about Lincoln Electric Welders Review: Tested by Locals

If you've never tried your hand at competitive archery, now is a great time to start!  It's finally spring, and 3D archery season is charging full steam ahead. Here in central Montana, there is no excuse for not getting your bow out of the case and getting in a full summer of practice on the 3D courses.  From now until August, there is a shoot nearly every weekend within 2 hours of Great Falls including several local events. 3D shoots are something that all archers should attend for several different reasons. You can find Montana state's current list of 3D shoots online HERE. Shoot at Life-sized Game Animals While not everyone will draw tags for moose, sheep, or caribou, it's still good practice because you're shooting at animals that are similar in size to what you will be chasing.  Most clubs have several fun targets well.  Who doe... Read more about 3D Archery Shoots in Montana

Berkley Flicker Shad Fishing Lure Review Read more about Berkley Flicker Shad Fishing Lure Review

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 about Father's Day in the Northwest: Things to Do

At 6:30 am we were out the door in Sandpoint, ID, and after a night of fishing, eating, and shenanigans with the awesome people that live in Noho, #idahome we were in need of... coffee and bacon.  I repeat; we were NOT looking for lettuce wrapped, spinach filled, egg white burritos; coffee and bacon. Only a few breakfast hot spots open up early enough for us in Sandpoint, one being Connie's, and a few others but this morning we were headed to the Hoot Owl. Not that it matters, but the Hoot Owl Cafe's background is a bit fuzzy. The building has been there since 1942 and was previously a drive-in... so I'll say a rough, 30-40 years. You won't find it online, but that's the info I gathered, plus I'd driven by a hundred times--and this morning, we entered "the owl." I'd have been really happy with coffee and bacon BUT good luck slimming you... Read more about The Hoot Owl

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 about Omak Earth Day: Ashen Footprints in Carlton

Every night before bed, I go through my routine that helps me prepare for the morning. One of these includes making sure my coffee pot goes off by itself at 4:20 am. The smell of brewing coffee helps me mentally prepare to get out of bed, and the anticipation of a good cup of coffee makes thing a bit more enjoyable. Forget the alarm, I set my coffee pot, and if it doesn't go off, I'm not getting out of bed. Luckily, the good folks at Twisp River Suites equipped our rooms with delay set coffee makers AND freshly ground coffee from Blue Star Coffee Roasters. I was set to carry on photographing late into the night and mentally prepared to deal with the consequences in the morning. After meeting up with our group in the morning, I jumped in the far back seat to work on photos on our long car drive to Lewiston. Sam, however, had a different ... Read more about Black Gold: Blue Star Coffee

We only had a few minutes on the way back from visiting Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint Idaho locations this week for breakfast. After an early morning watching the sun come up over Pend O'reille Lake and a coffee on the porch of the Edgewater by City Beach, we cruised east, back to Montana.  BUT we were hungry, and Yelp provided our answer at exit 15 near Coeur d'Alene, ID. Here's another local restaurant you guys should check out if you are in the area. I'm not into finding the quickest and easiest chain to stop and eat at; we've been after the local eats that have big props and respect from locals for a long time now. That's what we strive for in our retail business, and so I find it really interesting to find out more about the culture and immerse myself in it as much as possible in all our markets.  I like the people, the geography, b... Read more about Jimmy's Down the Street Restaurant Review

As winter begins to loosen its grip in the northwest, the faint sounds of springs are steadily increasing at all North 40 Outfitters locations. Spring sounds indoors? Yes, spring arrives with the welcoming sounds of baby chicks as we get them settled into their temporary homes. Here's the selection of Nutrena NatureWise feeds we carry online. The peep, peep, peeps will gradually increase over the next few weeks as we reach the peak of Chick Days intermingled with laughter from kids and adults alike. It's a great way to welcome the new growing season, and one that we strive to work hard at, keeping our feathered friends at their best health so they can ultimately make it home to be successful egg layers and meat birds. Chickens have always been part of our culture for as long as I can remember (which is about 20 years). Taking care of c... Read more about Nutrena NatureWise Chicken Feed: A Farmer's Review

After a quick visit to our store in Omak, we headed east to the small town of Twisp. As we drove further into the Methow Valley towards the Cascades, the Okanogan landscape progressively changed from sagebrush laden ground to what resembled East Glacier to a native Montanan. Learn about things to do in Moses Lake, Washington. Shortly after we encountered a bobcat, we arrived in Twisp at dusk in search of our hotel. We were given classic, small town directions (like turn right at the Dairy Queen, left at the pool) and told our hotel was located right behind the local pub. As we neared the end of town, we began questioning whether or not we should flip on the GPS just as the pub sign came into sight. We parked outside the Twisp River Suites and sorted through the waves of gear falling out of the trunk like an over stuffed cupboard. Beh... Read more about Exploring Twisp, Washington: A Local Gem