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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast we wanted to take some time to celebrate the New Year with a special Sneak Peek into some new things coming soon just for you! Your host Downrigger Dale talks to the Webmaster for MontanaOutdoor.com. Our very own Website Wonder, Hookem Harry, aka Harry Ward. Harry tells us all about the new changes to our website that are active online right now, plus he reveals a few other surprises that will be coming soon. Spoiler Alert! Yes, there is an app for that! When you listen to this podcast you will learn about some very exciting things that are going to keep you even more informed about what is going on in Montana's Great Outdoors! So, grab a glass of your favorite beverage, pop some corn and sit back and listen to what new is coming just for you in 2025!

Links:

• Well, this time it is pretty simple as far as links go. Just click here and take a look at the new Montana Outdoor Website! And don't forget to keep checking back to see all the new changes that will be added in the weeks and months to come.
• Here is a super important link. Webmaster, Hookem Harry really wants to know what you think of the changes on the website so far and what else you would like to see. So, click here to email him and tell him what you think and what you want!
• Of course, your old buddy Downrigger Dale would love to know what topics you would like to hear about for new podcasts in this new year. Click here now to email him your ideas!

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale is joined by Ice Fishing Pro Eric Magnuson. Eric is an incredible ice fisherman and even does testing for many companies that produce ice fishing gear, like Vexilar, Clam Outdoors, Mack's Lure and others. Eric and Rigger have a great discussion that we are positive you will find very interesting and helpful, whether you are an experienced ice fisher person or just starting out. One thing Rigger found interesting was how Eric uses his Vexilar Fish Finder and how accurate Eric says it can be. Vexilar is not something a lot of Montana ice fishermen use these days as they tend to gravitate to the new Garmin, Lowrance or Humminbird units. However, wait until you hear just how sensitive he can operate the new Vexilar, like being able to drop one maggot into the ice hole and fallow it all the way to the bottom of the lake! What?! Being that Eric typically fishes outside of Montana in the lakes of Idaho and Eastern Washington he brings possible new ideas for those of us who spend most of our time on Montana ice. However, no matter what ice you will be fishing on this winter you will indeed get some ideas that will improve your skills form this podcast. So, hit the play button and get to listening and then check out the links below for more info about the things Rigger and his guest Eric Magnuson talk about this week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast!

Links:

• To follow Eric Magnuson on his ice fishing adventures, click here to go to his Facebook Page.
• To read Eric's latest article about fishing for Burbot click here.
• Click here to read Eric's latest article about using fish finders.
• To learn more about the Vexilar fish finder that Eric uses click here.
• Eric talked about gear from Automatic Fisherman, click here to learn more.
• To learn more about the Toothpick Hook Remover click here.
• Here is Eric's list of "must have" gear to go out on the ice with.
  • Ice Picks
  • Spud bar
  • Throw Rope
  • Proper clothing
  • 5gal bucket to carry gear and use as a seat.
  • Rod and Tackle
  • T2 Toothpick hook remover
  • Proper Boots
  • Auger
  • Sonar/Maps
  • Fishing Partner
  • Small Jet Sled to tow gear behind
• Questions for Eric? Click here to send him an email.
• Comments for Rigger? Click here to email him.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks with Bob Loomis from Mack's Lure, inventors of the world-famous Wedding Ring fishing lure. Bob has been on the podcast before and if you listened before then you know if there is one thing Bob knows it is fishing! Bob got his start 43 years ago at the legendary fishing rod manufacturer G. Loomis Fishing Rods working with family there. Years down the road he moved over to Mack's Lure which is another company that has been a legend in the tackle business since 1969. Their famous product the Wedding Ring has been a staple among Kokanee fishermen for it seems forever. But believe it or not the tackle business is not his true passion, that would be of course the act of fishing itself. This guy lives and breathes it! So as a result, when you listen to this podcast you are going to get a TON of ideas of how to catch fish through the ice and most of all some fantastic suggestions of what to use to do that! You will hear Bob and Rigger talk about all kinds of different lures that will be great to catch fish and Bob goes over lots of great techniques of how to use them for the different species you may be going after. If you want to get a look at the different lures they talk about, there are links below. Then just head to any of the Montana Outdoor Approved stores and pick up what you want to use. Click here to get info on all of our Montana Outdoor Approved Stores! Course right now you need to get to listening!

Links:

• To learn more about Mack's Lure just click here.
• To subscribe to the Mack Attack online Magazine and learn from the Mack's Lure Pros, click here.
• To look at the ice fishing lures from Mack's Lure that Bob Loomis and Rigger talked about just click here.
• In addition, Bob also mentioned these lures. Just lick on each of their names to look at them. Promise Keeper® and Wedding Ring® Classic Original.
• He also mentions some scents that work well. Click here for gels and click here for oils.
• Questions for Bob Loomis? Click here to send him an email!
• Don't forget your old buddy Downrigger Dale! He would love to hear your thoughts about this podcast and your ideas for future topics. Click here to email him now

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast you host Downrigger Dale talks to Racheal Vargas of Montana K9 Safety. If you own a dog and take it with you in the Outdoors or along with you anywhere this winter especially if you could not get to the Vet in minutes, you really need to listen to this podcast. It indeed could save your dog's life and save you from a whole lot of heartache. Racheal is a nurse that has turned into the Florence Nightingale for our four-legged best friends. Years ago, she decided to use her medical and safety training knowledge to train people how to save their pets should an emergency happen where lifesaving care was up to them. Think about it, do you know how to perform CPR on your dog? The Furbearer Trapping Season just started, what if you were out hiking with your pup and it stepped in a trap, would you know how to safely free him or her from the trap? Let's say you and Rover were out bird hunting and he suddenly dropped into a seizure, would you know what to do? How about if you're out ice fishing and your dog falls through the ice and goes into hyperthermia and their heart stops, would you know how to save them? This Podcast will tell you all about how you can get on your way from just being a pet owner to becoming a life saver. Oh, but there is more to it than just that. Racheal will can teach your kids too! She can even train them how to start their own dog care and walking business! Sounds a bit more fun and lucrative than a lemonade stand, doesn't it? This truly is such an important Podcast because we know so many of you that listen take your dogs all over with you. Let's face they are family, they are our hunting partners, our best friends. So, let's all learn about it by listening right now!

Links:

• To learn all about Montana K9 Safety and all the classes like the Free Trap Release class as well as other classes like, K9 Wilderness Emergency Care, Pet First Aid/CPR and Disaster Response, K9 First Aid Workshop, Pet CPR, the Kids Classes and more just click here.
• Keep scrolling down in the above link to learn also about the pet first aid kit that Rigger and Racheal talked about or to see some pictures and more!
• If you have questions for Racheal, you can email her by clicking here.
• Good old Rigger would love to hear from you too, especially if you have ideas for future podcast topics just click here!

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to Matt Rosencrans, Climate Testbed Director with the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center. Matt used all the National Weather Service's incredible technology and put together a special winter weather forecast just for all our podcast listeners. So what did he come up with? What is the winter weather forecast for each region of Montana? Well, you are gonna have to listen to the podcast to find out. Now depending on what you like to do in Montana's outdoors I think you might like what he says here. Again, that is depending on what you like to do in Montana's Outdoors. What we do know that all of you will for sure like about this podcast is just how thorough Matt is. This is one very smart guy that lives and breathes the weather for not just Montana, but for all across the United States. Now, in addition to giving you his winter weather prediction for Montana he also used all his incredible high-tech gear and knowledge to give a prediction of what the weather will be like across the State for this Spring and Summer! Yeah, we are gonna take you way into the future of Montana's weather. What is also VERY cool is that Matt explains a lot of just how he can put together these predictions. So, are you gonna get to go ice fishing sooner than you thought this year? How is the skiing going to be in the State? This Podcast will answer those and your other Montana weather questions. Yeah, you are gonna find this one super interesting for sure. So, what are you waiting for, hop in our weather time machine, push play and get to listening!

Links:

• To learn more about the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center and its history, click here. By the way, pretty interesting to learn that Thomas Jefferson was one of the nation's first climatologists!
• For links to the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center's different national weather predictions and maps click here.
• For northwestern Montana click here or call (406) 329-4840.
• For northern and central Montana click here or call (406) 453-2081.
• For northeastern Montana click here or call (406)228-4042.
• For southeastern Montana click here or call (406) 652-0851.
• Questions for Matt Rosencrans? Click here to send him an email.
• Click here to tell Rigger what you thought of this episode or to give him your ideas for future podcasts!

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to fishing guide Garrett Ostler of Madison Adventures in West Yellowstone Montana! Often the greater West Yellowstone area is home to the first lakes to freeze and the last to thaw in Montana! In fact, when you listen to this podcast you'll hear Garrett tell the story of the year he started ice fishing right around Halloween and was able to fish on the ice all the way until....you are not going be believe how late into the year he was able to catch trout through the ice. You'll also learn about the type of trout you can catch around West Yellowstone and what and where are the best lakes to find them. And you'll learn HOW to catch these incredible trout swimming around right under your feet. Plus, you will learn about some great ice fishing events just for the kids called the Kids N Snow & Kids Ice Fishing Camp! However, it is not just fishing that Rigger and Garrett talk about on this Podcast. Garrett talks about all the other great winter activities around West Yellowstone like snowmobiling, sleigh rides, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and even some unbelievable snowmobiling and Snow Coach rides into Yellowstone Park! Hear about a trip you can take from West Yellowstone all the way into the park to Old Faithful to see that world famous geyser in way that is just unbelievable! That and more is waiting for you right now so get to listening!

Links:

• For Garrett's fishing guide service click here. Or check out his Facebook Page by clicking here!
• To see the ice fishing gear that Garrett talks about click here.
• Click here to see some awesome pictures of Garrett's clients and the trout they catch.
• Click here to learn about the Hebgen Lake Ice Fishing Tournament.
• To lean about LOTS for fun winter activities in and around West Yellowstone, click here.
• Learn more about the Kid N Snow & Kids Ice Fishing Camp by clicking here.
• To learn more about the sleigh rides at Parade Rest Ranch that Garrett talked about click here.
• For fishing licenses in and to learn about the fishing regulations for Montana click here, for Wyoming click here and for Idaho click here.
• Questions for Garrett Ostler? Click here to send an email.
• Click here to email to Downrigger Dale.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks to Ed Hebbe from the Montana Trappers Association to get the truth about trapping in Montana. In this Podcast some VERY important information is delivered that will likely surprise you about trapping. Is trapping really necessary? Some say that trapping is actually important to the survival of wildlife in Montana and other states, is that really true? Is trapping really used for wildlife management and research? Did you know that trappers come from all walks of life and are a huge help to farmers and ranchers? Did you know that trapping is used to help control disease? Really? Why are environmental organizations and others always suing to try to stop trapping? This Podcast will tell you the answers to those questions and the answers just might shock you! After you are done listening you just might change your mind about trapping and hopefully you will get involved to protect the REAL protectors. If you don't agree we want to hear from you too! It's time to talk about this!

Links:

• To learn more about the Montana Trappers Association click here.
• Click here to learn more about Montana's Furbearers.
• For the latest news about Trapping click here.
• Checkout the MTA Facebook page by clicking here!
• Questions for our guest on the podcast Ed Hebbe? Click here to email him.
• Tell Downrigger Dale your thoughts about this podcast and let him know what other topics you would like us to cover. Click here to email him, or click the text button above.

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale had a great talk with one of Montana's top fishing guides, Don Wilkins. Rigger found out that Don is still out guiding folks on Fort Peck Reservoir, which you don't find many guides that do that this late in the season. So, Rigger figured that he obviously must be catching something out there. Spoiler Alert: yes, he is catching a lot! What he is catching, what is he using to do that and where is he finding them? Well, if you want to know all that then this podcast is for you! Another thing that Don Wilkins was kind enough to share was some fantastic advice about the upcoming ice fishing season. Including the main things, you should be checking for with your ice fishing gear? Don also shared what his favorite gear is to use which is extremely valuable advice since he knows a TON about all that gear. That way your favorite locally owned sporting goods store can get it all ordered for you so it will be here in time for when the lakes of Montana freeze over. Don also does guided ice fishing trips as well as what he calls "Tag a Long Trips". What are those? If you want to learn how to become a safe, incredible ice fishing expert then you FOR SURE NEED TO LISTEN NOW!

Links:

• See what Don and his clients have been catching lately? Click here and browse his 56 Fishing Guide Service Facebook Page and take a look at all those great pictures!
• There are lots of ways you can book a trip with Don Wilkins! Just Click here to see links and click any of those listed.
• You can also just give Don a call at (406) 407-6648.
• Click here to email Don Wilkins with any questions you have.
• If you want a list of all of Don's recommended ice fishing gear, click here and tell Rigger you want the list of Don's recommended gear, and he will email it to you right away!

Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.