Have fun while learning how to live with Missoula’s urban bears on Saturday, Sept. 6. The Grant Creek/North Hills Bear Fair runs from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation’s visitor center, 5705 Grant Creek Road (north of the I-90, Reserve Street interchange).

UPCOMING LICENSE AND DRAWING DEADLINES

* Black Bear license purchase by August 31
* General Mountain Lion license purchase by August 31 – OR
* Special Mountain Lion license over-the-counter, apply by August 29, or Internet by August 31

As Montana seeks to manage the risk and stop the spread of brucellosis, hunters and landowners will be working together this fall.

Last year, cattle in a herd near Bridger tested positive for brucellosis. The infection was suspected to have originated in a herd from Emigrant in the Paradise Valley 25 miles north of Yellowstone National Park.

Cities and towns across the nation face several urban wildlife issues. Deer management is one widespread issue that is difficult and contentious to manage in most locations. The town of Colstrip has taken a proactive approach to deer management, adopting a Deer Management Action Plan (DMAP), approved by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in 2005. The following is an information update to the DMAP.

OLYMPIA - General cougar-hunting seasons in Klickitat County will change next month in response to state approval of the county's request for a new pilot cougar hunt with the aid of dogs.

The new pilot cougar hunt, approved Aug. 9 by the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission, will allow hunters to use dogs to hunt cougars in Klickitat County from Dec. 1 through March 31.

CONCORD, N.H. - Get psyched for the upcoming hunting seasons at a series of free evening talks by area hunting experts and staff of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department in September. The sessions begin at 7 p.m. This year they will be offered in various locations. No pre-registration is required.

CONCORD, N.H. -- New Hampshire Fish and Game and the N.H. Department of Resources and Economic Development Division of Forests and Lands, with support from the N.H. Army National Guard, US Fish and Wildlife Service, and City of Concord, will be conducting a "prescribed burn" in areas on and near Concord Municipal Airport grounds. The prescribed burn may occur as early as Wednesday, August 27, or as late as late October; the date will be finalized when the weather and atmospheric conditions are seen to be safe.

COLUMBUS - The Labor Day holiday weekend, August 30-September 1, is an excellent time to enjoy boating recreation close to home, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Division of Watercraft. Selecting among a diversity of boating destinations and special events, the final summer holiday weekend is a great time to enjoy a quick getaway boating vacation.

Partners commit to five-year plan

Prior to late 2007, a black-footed ferret had not been documented in Kansas since 1957. Last December, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), in cooperation with local landowners and The Nature Conservancy, released 24 captive-reared ferrets on three private ranches in Logan County.

OLYMPIA - The public boat launch at Pleasant Harbor near Brinnon on Hood Canal will be closed twice in early September while the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) wraps up an improvement project at the site.