Augusta Montana

Grizzly bear populations across the state are growing, as is talk about how to minimize human-bear conflict. A Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks report released in April showed wildlife officials in northwest Montana received about 150 calls related to grizzly conflicts last year.

Some people, like residents of the Rocky Mountain Front, have dealt with the bears for a long time. MTPR's Rosie Costain reports on one of these conflict-reducing methods: dogs.

State and Federal wildlife officials are investigating this week’s slaughter of dozens of snow geese about two miles southeast of Augusta in western Montana.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden Brady Murphy says this is a particularly heinous poaching case.

Part of Highway 200 reopened this afternoon clearing the route between Missoula and Great Falls. The section of the road near Rogers Pass was closed  for several days following flooding in the area on Tuesday.

Brent Colbert, a captain with the Lewis and Clark County Sheriff’s office, says the highway reopened a little after 3 o'clock Friday afternoon.

Governor Steve Bullock this afternoon declared a State of Emergency in anticipation of possible major flooding in Cascade County and Lewis and Clark County and the City of Great Falls.

Flood waters around Augusta continue to shut down roadways and make passage impossible along some highways and bridges.

Heavy rain falling along the Rocky Mountain Front over the last several days has triggered flooding and road closures in and around the town of Augusta, and closed all the roads into the town.

If you step into one of the ritzier vacation lodges in Montana this summer, chances are you’ll spy the tan shafts and white tips of antlers, maybe in the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, or the throne-like chair in the corner, maybe even serving as a handle on a cabinet door.

These accents fuel a multi-million dollar cottage industry in the West that supports artists and backcountry scavengers alike. I spent a few days this spring tracking down the origins of unique antler furnishings. 

80-year-old leather worker Pauline Olson of Augusta, Montana, talks about God, deer hunting, and a life of struggling to keep afloat along the Rocky Mountain Front.