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This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale interviews quite possibly the smartest person you will ever see on the Montana Outdoor Podcast! Dr Johnna Infanti is one of the top weather scientists around. When you listen to the Podcast you will learn that one of her many specialties is researching the climate patterns known as El Niño and La Niña. Those two opposing climate patterns can affect Montana’s weather in major ways. Sometimes with good results and others, well, not so good. One of those has been affecting Montana recently in a rather strange way. Most everyone has noticed it, especially if you are an angler that has been wanting to get out on the ice but unfortunately has not found much to get on as well as those who have been wanting to play in the snow in the valleys. So, what is in store for Montana for the rest of the winter? More of the same or is it true that big changes could be on the way? Dr Infanti has the answers!

Links:

• Dr Infanti gave out a ton of amazing information and she was kind enough to get us some links to get even more info. For example, you click here to go to Climate Prediction Center of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA.
• Click here to get the Monthly Weather Outlook. The next update will be on 1/31/26!
• If you would like to take a look at the Monthly Outlook interactive map to see what it looks like for specific areas you are interested in click here.
• Click here for the direct link to seasonal outlooks.
• For interactive seasonal outlooks click here.
• Click here for all seasonal outlooks.
• To go to the Climate Prediction Center’s El Niño and La Niña page click here.
• Click here to see the El Niño and La Niña forecast they talked about on the Podcast, it’s on slide 23.
• For the Climate Prediction Center’s Hazards Outlook page click here. That’s where you go to see where the snow, much below normal temps, and other wild weather is at!
• Questions for Dr Johnna Infanti? Click here to email Rigger and he will track her down and get you the answers!

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 the Director of the 14th annual Hebgen Lake Ice Fishing Tournament, Garrett Ostler. With a total prize purse of likely $10,000 or maybe even higher, this tournament is one of the richest and for sure most fun ice fishing tournaments in Montana. Hebgen Lake is a beautiful lake near West Yellowstone Montana. Garrett does a great job of going over all the details about the tournament which takes place on Friday the 16th of this month with pre-fishing and rules meeting and then the tourney takes place on Saturday the 17th. This tournament not only pays out a bunch of money to its contestants it also raises money for an incredible program for all kids who want to learn how to ice fish, ride snowmobiles, cross country ski and much more through the West Yellowstone Kids ‘N’ Snow Program. In fact, if you watch the podcast you'll see a heartwarming video during the podcast that will show a ton of things that kids get to do and learn about FOR FREE. But there is even WAY MORE to this podcast. You will also learn how West Yellowstone has evolved into the capital of wintertime fun in Montana, with seemingly endless snowmobile trails, stunning wintertime tours of Yellowstone National Park, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, dogsledding, ice skating, sledding, the Grizzley & Wolf Discovery Center and of course ice fishing and the list goes on and on. We are pretty darn sure once you listen to this podcast you will for sure be doing two things next. 1. You will want to register your two-person team to compete in the Hebgen Lake Ice Fishing Tournament. 2. You will be packing up the whole family to leave to take part in all that this podcast tells you about this FOR REAL winter wonderland! So, click play now!

Links:

• To learn more about and to register to compete in the Hebgen Lake Ice Fishing Tournament click here.
• To learn more about the Kids ‘N’ Snow Programs at West Yellowstone click here.
• Click here to learn more about the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center.
• To learn more about winter activities, and summer ones too, in West Yellowstone click here!
• During the podcast Garrett mentions his video about knifeless fish cleaning that he made after he broke his arm. Click here to see that, if you dare! It is for sure NOT for those of you that have a weak stomach!
• Questions for Garrett? Click here to send him an email.
• Questions or comments for Rigger? Click here to send him an email.

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 takes you Dogsledding with the owner of Basecamp Bigfork, Mark Schurke! You have got to see this one gang! Folks are having a blast with this, and it is likely because of the way Mark does it. Yeah, you can sit and ride on the dog sled, which is a ton of fun, but Mark actually lets you become the Musher! That’s the person that, for the lack of a better word, drives the dog sled and that makes it even more fun. In fact, when click here to watch this week’s video of the podcast you will get to watch the dogs and mushers in action. Another incredible thing you will learn is that the dogs that Mark uses are Inuit Dogs, that is the oldest dog breed in the world. They are unbelievable at what they can do and if you want, they can make your trip with them pretty wild. Click here to watch them jump over streams and take the sled flying right over it as well and other cool stuff! You are going to love this Podcast! Not only do folks get to become the musher they also get out into some of the most beautiful places in Northwest Montana. DO NOT miss this podcast. So, click that play button and get to mushing!!

Links:

• Click here to learn more about Basecamp Bigfork.
• If you would like to watch even more videos and see more awesome pictures, click here to see them on Facebook or you can click here to see more on Instagram.
• Questions for Mark? Click here to send him an email.
• As always, your old buddy Rigger would love to hear what you thought of this week’s Podcast. Click here to shoot him an email!

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.