The Blackfoot isn’t just a bucket-list river—it’s a comeback story. And now it’s staring down two new threats that have people paying close attention.

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲:
This river was nearly wiped out in 1975 when a mine tailings dam blew out along Mike Horse Creek, sending a toxic surge through its headwaters. It took decades—and hundreds of millions in restoration—to bring it back. Today, it’s the kind of place where 20-fish days still happen, with cutthroat, rainbows, browns—and one of Montana’s last strongholds of bull trout.

𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗱:
An artificial intelligence company is eyeing a site on the lower Blackfoot for an AI data center and an Australian-owned gold mining company could begin an exploration project as early as this spring—drilling up to 21 boreholes nearly 2,300 feet deep in the headwaters.

“This isn’t knee-jerk anti-mining,” says Montana Trout Unlimited’s David Brooks, speaking about local concerns over the mine and proposed data center. “It’s understanding what that valley’s already been through—and what it took to fix it.” Given the river’s history, both proposals are drawing increased scrutiny

📣 If you’d like to weigh in on Sentinel’s proposed gold mine email your comments to [email protected] by 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟲
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𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙮 @travishallmedia

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[Montana’s Blackfoot River, Threatened by Proposed Gold Mine & AI Data Center] through the lens of @laurielanestudios & @blackriveroutfitters —paired with insight from @montanatroutunlimited ...

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April’s coming & the old pages know what that means: green banks, rising water, gobblers sounding off at first light, and every excuse in the world to stay outside a little longer. Who’s ready 👀

Archival Project // @fieldandstream & @yuenglingbeer
#OldSchool ...

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Y/N: you just wish you were in the boat.

This is what happens when Luke Bryan’s in charge of the invite list: Kevin VanDam, Bill Dance, Steve Harvey, and a boat full of legends go bass fishing.

For the memory bank: @iamsteveharveytv yelling, “THAT’S BILL DANCE RIGHT THERE,” while panning to @bill_dance… is pure gold. ...

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“Follow me, I’ll put your name on the boat,” and the internet did the rest. Don’t overthink it.

In case you missed it: @jakesheldon09 needs a new motor so he can get back on the water with his brother but he’s gonna need a bigger sharpie for this floating yearbook mission. ...

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If you’re still wearing last year’s sunburn and sweat stains, this is your sign.

The Spring Amazon Sale just opened up, and we loaded it with gear that earns its keep: the Field & Stream Roll Cast Performance Hoodie collection with DriRelease®.

Not the “tech tee” that quits after a few washes… this is fabric that keeps the funk out. Dries 4x faster than cotton, runs cooler when the heat cranks up, and packs UPF 50 for those all-day sits, drifts, and miles you don’t feel like cutting short.

Early mornings, high sun, one-more-cast evenings: this is the layer you forget you’re wearing because it’s doing its job that well. Upgrade your kit today // 🔗 in stories

👉 Tag @fieldandstream in your gear pics
👉 Photography by @kiahlunde22 & @eliascarlson ...

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High school done right. Some families mark the years with first-day-of-school photos, but the Messer family yearbook is filled with springs and gobblers.

How it started for Haywood County’s Avery Messer: he set out with his family to take one turkey for every year of high school. Freshman year brought an Eastern in North Carolina. Sophomore year, an Osceola in Florida. This past season, as a junior, he added a Merriam’s in Kansas.

Three birds, three springs, all earned along the way with his family. Now, senior year waits, and a Rio stands between Avery and his four-year Grand Slam goal before graduation. Study up, Avery!!

Story and photos shared by Avery’s proud parents @stacee_messer & her husband Jeremy, who also run, operate, and own @lickstone016 📍Next time you’re in North Carolina, give ‘em a shout. Good folks.

👉 Grand Slam Sticker by @shed.hunters ...

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Two fishermen on the Detroit River spotted what looked like a lone white wolf working its way along a frozen culvert.

They kept watching… and it never left. So they eased closer and quickly realized it wasn’t a wolf but a stranded dog. Later named Gordie. Trapped between concrete and current with nowhere to go. They couldn’t reach him. So they made the call.

Rescue crews moved fast. Ladders dropped down the wall to the ice. Once they had Gordie, they secured him and brought him up. Hungry, freezing, and likely stranded for nearly 24 hours, he was rushed to Michigan Humane.

Now? He’s warm, fed, and safe. That ending belongs in large part to a Detroit nonprofit: KARENS (K9 Animal Rescue Emergency Network System). They shared this story with their followers and now they’re working to find Gordie a permanent home. ...

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Nearly 20 years ago, Field & Stream ran “Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Eye”—a profile of turkey hunting legend Ray Eye.

Eye was the rare combination: a world-class turkey killer with the sense of humor of a man who probably shouldn’t be left unsupervised before sunrise. This was a guy who woke clients up at 3:30 a.m. by firing a flash camera in their face. Who traveled with a full-blown clown mask just in case someone needed “correcting.” Who once hid in a blind and scared a know-it-all kid so badly he sprinted 20 yards while still inside the blind. And then laughed about it like it was just good camp etiquette.

Across from him sat Bill Heavey—Field & Stream’s most self-aware outdoorsman, a guy who built a career admitting he wasn’t the best shot, caller, or fisherman in the room. Heavey didn’t fake it. He showed you what it looked like to learn, to struggle, to finally get it right.

That was the balance of the story: one man raising hell, the other just trying to keep it together long enough to break his turkey curse. And somewhere between the jokes, the chaos, and the coaching, it all finally clicked.

Field & Stream Archives // April 2007
Story by Bill Heavey // Photos by Peter Yang ...

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Somebody’s thumbing through a stack of ’90s Field & Stream like it’s the morning paper. You can feel the seasons turning in those pages. Crappie stories when the dogwoods start popping. Pike when there’s still a little ice hanging on in the back bays. Bass when the water warms and everybody starts lying about how early they got on ‘em.

Different fish, different rigs but it all runs on the same clock: a reminder that spring doesn’t ask, it shows up. And if you’re paying attention, you meet it there.

Archival Project: @fieldandstream // @yuenglingbeer ...

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He didn’t crack shad by going louder, he got quieter.

“Painting shad is one of the hardest things I’ve worked on. It’s not about bold colors or sharp contrasts it’s all about really subtle transitions that are easy to miss but make a huge difference,” said Zorba.

Color shifting is the difference maker. 15 years at the bench and it finally clicked. It’s all about the blend…

“The tricky part is that shad don’t really have clean lines. Everything kind of blends into each other soft fades and slight color shifts. You’ll get hints of green, purple, blue depending on the light and angle and that’s incrdibly hard to replicate with pearl paints,” said Zorba.

Photo & Story by U/Mr_Zorba @zorba_baits ...

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A proper send-off for a legend.
Some men play the part. Others live it.
He was the latter. RIP Chuck Norris. ...

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