Endangered sockeye salmon are returning to Stanley in encouraging numbers. On Thursday alone, 29 fish returned to the Stanley basin, and so far this year, 142 sockeye have reached Stanley, and many more are expected.

To put that in perspective, in 2007 only four fish returned to the Stanley Basin, and a total of 40 sockeye had returned over the previous five years.

Fisheries managers are optimistic because a large run has crossed Lower Granite Dam, which is the last dam the fish cross before reaching Idaho.

Fish and Game just issued this press release:

Record Trout Caught in American Falls Reservoir

Twitter! Twitter! No not that twitter. The sound of the goldfinch.

You can't miss them. They're bright yellow and zip around like crazy.

We've been seeing a lot of goldfinches around the house this summer, more than usual, because we put up a tubular Nyjer (thistle) seed feeder.

Time flies and anglers are already catching and releasing steelhead on the lower Clearwater River by Lewiston.

In fact, Idaho Fish and Game opens the 2009 steelhead take season Saturday on a 2-mile stretch of the Clearwater River from its mouth to the U.S. 12 bridge, also known as the Memorial Bridge, in Lewiston.

The daily bag limit is two and the possession limit is six.

Here's a chance to learn more about the kokanee that migrate up Mores Creek from Lucky Peak Reservoir.

A family fun day and celebration is planned Aug. 29 during Kokanee Outdoor Day along Mores Creek and in Idaho City. It starts with a road trip that follows the route of the red kokanne salmon as they swim up Mores Creek. A celebration of Idaho's fish, wildlife and clean water is planned at a free festival at the Idaho City Park from noon until 6 p.m.

We all remember the 1990 movie Dances with Wolves. Well, in Yellowstone there's backpacking with wolves.

The nonprofit Yellowstone Association has limited spaces available in select backpacking courses in Yellowstone National Park and one of them is an Autumn Wolf and Elk Backpack with park experts.

It's Sept. 17-20 and costs $480.

You can't dance very well with a backpack on but the trek sounds interesting anyway.

The sego lilies and other wildflowers are blooming around Stanley and there are great photo opportunities.

I was camped up there last weekend and saw the lilies along Idaho 75 south of Stanley and also on trails off Idaho 21, northwest of Stanley.

The sego lily is a beautiful flower and something you don't want to miss.

Anglers will have one more weekend of Chinook salmon fishing in Idaho’s Upper Salmon River.

The section from the city of Salmon upstream to the Sawtooth Fish Hatchery weir will close at the end of fishing hours on July 26. It is the last part of the Salmon River to close to Chinook fishing.

Idaho Fish and Game made the announcement Tuesday afternoon.

Rattlesnakes and dogs don’t mix and one of the most popular rattler avoidance clinics is set Aug. 8 at Veterans Memorial Park in Boise.

The clinic, which is open to all breeds, is $30 per dog and sponsored by the Snake River Versatile Gun Dog Club. It is one of the club’s fund-raising events.

The Little Camas and Mountain Home reservoirs in Elmore County will be dry or nearly dry by late summer. Fish in the reservoir will have a high likelihood of dying as water levels drop, so fish and game has opened them to salvage fishing.

Daily bag, possession, and size limits will be removed beginning July 21 and ending November 30, 2009.

“We would rather have people harvest these fish than let them go to waste when the reservoir is dewatered,” said Doug Megargle, Regional Fisheries Manager.