When we talk about wildlife data, age is one of the first things biologists look to for
understanding the health of animal populations and how management actions may
affect trends. Age is also often the subject of debate among hunters, who look at
things like body size, antler growth or teeth wear to estimate how many winters a
harvested animal has been on the mountain.

This week, we’re going to do things a little differently and talk about a story Tom Kuglin worked on back in the spring. In March we went down to Manhattan and spent some time at Mattson’s Laboratory. Not only did we learn some new science, but
with hunting season around the corner those heading to the field might be
interested in what the lab has to offer.

This podcast  is created in partnership across five newsrooms – the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers’ websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2001, American Prairie made an appearance in Montana with the goal to stitch together private and public lands in Eastern Montana to create a large grassland reserve. By buying ranches from willing sellers, the group – once known as the Prairie Foundation, American Prairie Foundation, and American Prairie Reserve – has become a lightning rod for criticism, legislation and political divisiveness. This is in part because it has stocked some of its land with bison. Recently, the Bureau of Land Management gave final approval to the group to alter grazing plans on federal lands to accommodate bison, reigniting the long simmering feud.

On this week's episode Brett French, outdoors and natural resources reporter the Billings Gazette discusses the contentious history of American Prairie's attempt to create a native grassland prairie inhabited by bison.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This summer, in an urban state park on the westside of Helena, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has been conducting a very visible research project. One that includes colorful birds, excited biologists and the public is welcome to join in.

The station is part of the Monitoring Avian Productivity and Survivorship program, which captures birds for banding and data collection. Banding allows tracking of population trends, including survival, reproductive rates and movement patterns across the country.

This work has become important as a number of bird species are experiencing population declines, according to the Western Ecological Resource Center. The MAPS program provides crucial information to help biologists monitor and help species recover before it's too late.

There are up to 1,200 MAPS bird banding stations nationwide. The MAPS program has operated since 1989 and collected more than 2.5 million records. 

But, the banding station at Spring Meadow is unique, said Allison Begley, an avian conservation biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The program is open for the public to observe the work and then assist with the release of birds.  

This podcast  is created in partnership across five newsrooms – the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers’ websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roughly one year ago, Leah Davis Lokan was mauled to death in her tent by a 4-year-old male grizzly. The tragedy made international headlines and sparked conversations about how humans and bears can coexist.

Two hundred years ago, grizzly bears dominated the Montana landscape. But today, people have taken that throne and relegated the animal to a fraction of its former range. But the bears - backed by legal protection and decades of recovery effort - have begun reasserting themselves, in some cases wandering through areas they haven’t been spotted in for decades. The slow expansion has led to an increase in bear conflicts that run the gamut in severity - trash can rummages, chicken coop break-ins, attacks on large livestock, fatal human maulings. And as both human and bear populations continue to swell, experts say the number of conflicts will grow as well. 

On this episode, Missoulian Reporter Josh Murdock and Missoulian Editor Rob Chaney, discuss a recently-released report that focuses on the fatal mauling of Leah Lokan, and what the incident means for our relationship with grizzly bears in the West.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Editor's note: This episode was recorded in early spring, before we had indications of this year's wet season. Although, as you will hear in the episode, the Big Hole needs more than a wet season to offset the effects of climate change.

Author Pat Munday once referred to the Big Hole River as “Montana’s Last Best River.” The multitudes who cherish the Big Hole, be they ranchers, anglers, photographers or outfitters, would likely agree with Munday’s assessment.

They would probably concur also that the river is in peril - facing threats from climate change, prolonged drought, irrigation withdrawals, pollution from nutrients, being loved to death by recreationists, development and more. The summer of 2021 posed grim challenges. Current conditions suggest 2022 might buckle the knees of anyone who cares about the Big Hole River.

On this episode, Duncan Adams, natural resources and outdoors reporter for the Montana Standard, and David McCumber, former Montana Standard editor and Lee Enterprise Local News Director for the West, talk about a four part series from the Butte newsroom on the Big Hole River.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Elk hunting in Montana has been under the microscope over the last year following a contentious season-setting process and widespread debate about how one of the state's most iconic species, and the lands they roam, are being managed.

New regulations, advisory committees, a new management plan, access agreements and a lawsuit have grabbed headlines as Montana’s hunting community, landowners, lawmakers and state wildlife managers grapple with change and the potential for more changes.

One of the latest debates was sparked by work from an elk management advisory committee that recommends Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks consider what would be a major shakeup for a lot of elk hunters: choosing a weapon and season.

On this week's episode, Tom Kuglin of the Montana State New Bureau discusses a story about this recommendation and others, which has Montana’s hunting world talking.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Wolverines are a species that often seems part animal and part myth.

With a weasel’s mentality, it’s known for punching well above its weight, thriving in areas where few animals survive and captivating popular fascination. Wolverines are also a species of scientific intrigue, living at very low densities in wild and intact ecosystems that make them a challenge to study.

Several wolverine sightings across Montana captured headlines last winter as rare appearances became an opportunity for experts to share the ecology of this largest member of the weasel family.

On this episode Tom Kuglin, talks about his  long-held interest in wolverines, the states management approach to the animal, an unprecedented multi-state study and why wolverines continue to pique our curiosity. 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Each year in late May and early June, trout feast and anglers flock to waterways for the giant salmonfly hatch, when the ecologically vital bugs emerge from streams as nymphs and hatch out of the water into winged adults before reproducing and dying, leaving behind only the "shucks" they emerged from clinging to brush on the shoreline.

Growing up to 3 inches long, adult giant salmonflies are the largest of the stonefly family. They are so substantial that osprey, which generally consume fish, have been observed snatching up airborne salmonflies. 

On this week’s episode, Joshua Murdock, outdoors reporter for the Missoulian talks about giant salmonfly populations declining in some streams across the West and how researchers at University of Montana are trying to understand what factors affect a bug that is essential to trout and the economies of fishing towns.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Montana attracts hunters from all over the world that apply for licenses to hunt deer and elk. Like many states, Montana limits nonresident opportunities via a lottery system, with 17,000 deer-elk combination licenses and 4,600 deer licenses. Now there are more nonresident hunters applying for tags than there are licenses available. 

When it comes to which state produces the most nonresident hunters, none come close to the state of Washington.

The Evergreen State accounts for about 17% of all nonresident hunters awarded Montana deer and elk hunting licenses over the last four years, according to data provided by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks through a public information request. That equates to nearly 17,000 of the more than 101,000 licenses distributed from 2019-2022.

The Montana State News Bureau requested zip codes for all nonresidents who received deer-elk combination, elk-combination and deer-combination licenses awarded through the annual lottery. 

On this week's episode, Tom Kuglin of the Montana State News Bureau, discusses what he found from looking into Montana's nonresident hunting data.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last few days rivers in south-central and southwest Montana have risen to unprecedented levels, wreaking havoc on the communities along their banks. Images and videos of houses and bridges being washed away in rising floodwaters have populated social media sites. Whole communities in the area are isolated without any road access to them. Law enforcement and government agencies are still conducting search and rescue operations in the region. 

Runoff from the Beartooth mountains turned Rock Creek into a raging torrent almost overnight Monday.

Flood damage at the headwaters of the Yellowstone River in Yellowstone national park caused road washouts, bridge failures, rockslides and mudslides.

The Yellowstone River crested at just over 49,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) at Corwin Springs in the upper Paradise Valley on Monday, shattering its previous records of 32,200 set in June 1996. Wiping out all roads to Gardiner leaving huge crowds of travelers and residents trapped in the mountain town.

Downstream, floodwaters reached Livingston where the hospital was evacuated and Billings, forcing the city to shut down its water treatment plant.

While many questions remain, on this episode Brett French, outdoors editor for the Billings Gazette discusses what we do know about Montana’s current high water crisis.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.