Answers to your questions — big or small — about anything under the Big Sky.
The Big Why (get it?) is part of MTPR’s commitment to community-led journalism, telling the diverse stories of Montanans like you.
Join us in this collaborative! Ask your questions about anything under the Big Sky and we’ll help dig up the answers.
No question is too big or too small for the Big Why. Let's see what we can discover together!
Join us in this collaborative! Ask your questions about anything under the Big Sky and we’ll help dig up the answers.
No question is too big or too small for the Big Why. Let's see what we can discover together!
-
Libraries do more than just lend books. They offer community events, classes, access to computers — and they help preserve cultural knowledge. But, public funding is being slashed, delayed or taken back as the Trump Administration works to cut government programs. After recent federal cuts, one listener wants to know what’s going to happen to rural museums and libraries across the state. -
A state program lets Montana nonprofits design special license plates to help raise funds for their organization. There’s an option for any charismatic Montana animal, university sports team or social cause you want to support. There are also three versions of a 'Don't Tread on Me' plate. One listener wants to know why. MTPR's John Hooks has the story behind the state's 200 license plate options – including the most popular choice. -
This week’s topic comes from a listener who asks, ‘Why is there no hog industry in Montana?’ While Montana famously has more cows than people, as we dug into this question, we found out that pigs are a big deal in Montana.
How it works
The Big Why is sponsored in part by:
Your questions answered
-
If you've ever seen or experienced a pickup pull alongside or in front of you and then belch out a huge cloud of black or gray exhaust — well, you've just been coal-rolled. But why? -
In 2023 the Blackfeet Nation released bison into the Chief Mountain area along the border of Glacier National Park. The release was part of a plan to build a free roaming herd in a place bison had been absent from for more than 100 years. One listener wants to know where those bison are now. -
In the '90s, whirling disease hit trout populations hard in Montana, at one point leading to a 95% decline in rainbow trout in the Madison River. It sparked concern among biologists, anger in tourist towns and even played a role in a murder mystery novel. It also inspired this week's question: What's happening with whirling disease and other threats to trout? -
When voters authorized the Montana Lottery in 1986, the promise was that lottery revenues would be used for education funding. Now, with schools facing budget woes and lawmakers debating funding bills, one listener wants to know if this gamble is paying off.
The Big Why team
