Mammals
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The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is one of the most biologically impressive regions in the world. From "charismatic megafauna" like elk and bears to mink, otters, and other small game, the Bozeman area's just about got it all. For more info, check out the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Animal Field Guide.
Montana’s wildlife regulations have been piling up since the territorial legislature first convened in Bannack in December 1864. Read more >>
Winter is a fine time in Montana, not just for skiers, but for wilderness aficionados as well. Elk are in the low country, bison are often on the move, and wolves are visible against the pale palette of snow. And tracks tell stories when animals won’t. Read more >>
Bears
The effects of climate change are already evident, and the stakes are high for outdoor enthusiasts and nature lovers living in southwest Montana who recreate year-round in Yellowstone National Park. Read more >>
Like the title indicates, Kalispell’s Ben Long presents a collection of bear stories from across Montana. Read more >>
MARK OF THE GRIZZLY by Scott McMillion Guilford, CT: Globe Pequot Press, 1998 249 pages Read more >>
Local Bozeman resident and author/illustrator Ted Rechlin gives Montana’s children of all ages a chance to find out what a year in the life of a Yellowstone grizzly is like in his new book Silvertip (Riverbend Publishing, $10). Read more >>
I saw the two bears from the road while driving. Like a proper tourist, I stopped right in the middle of the road. Since I was on a curve, I did the responsible thing—I turned on my hazards. Read more >>Elk
In February of 2009 “Mighty Bull Elk No. 9”tried to jump a fence,somersaulted onto his backand was pinned between large rockswith his trophy-sized antlers beneath him.He suffocated to death.In elk years he was in his seventies. Read more >>
Well, it’s about that time again. Wapiti killin’ time. It really sucks that this happens every damn year. I mean, for all the hype surrounding domestic terrorism, nobody seems to notice the elk genocide. We’re people too. OK, so not really, but we’re pretty noble creatures. Just ask Charles M. Read more >>Hi Honey, it's me. No, no don't worry, it's just August.We don't have to worry about that for a month or two. Yes, things are fine up here. When you're throughWith the kids, hoof it on up here and we'll mate, justDon't get sidetracked by our neighbor, Buck. I trust Read more >>Buffalo
Yellowstone Park’s brucellosis-infected bison have been in the Montana Department of Livestock crosshairs for years, but the newest round of shots might prove less fatal. Read more >>
If you've ever wanted an invitation onto Ted Turner's famous Green Ranch, along the Madison River west of Bozeman, dress as a buffalo and you just might get in. Read more >>Yellowstone’s wild, free-roaming buffalo are a unique wildlife resource. Certainly we can fashion a Montana solution that shares the land with our buffalo and their annual movements without slaughtering them every time they step into Montana. Read more >>Wolves
On July 12, 2012, Montana’s FWP Commission approved the state’s first wolf-trapping season, which will open December 15 and close February 28, 2013. The Background Read more >>
“Wolves!” It’s the only word Doug can get out. Excited, out of breath, he takes a knee and we all gather round. Between gasps he fills us in. “I went… to take a leak… right over there… there’s wolves… right over there!” Read more >>
Looking to get in on the wolf-watching action around Yellowstone Park? Here are some resources to get you started. Yellowstone Safari Company Read more >>
There are wolves in the compound. As I step onto my cabin porch during my first night at the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, one of the volunteers tells me he saw one. While I’m trying to decide if he’s joking, I hear the howl. Read more >>
Wolves Back on Endangered Species ListMontana wildlife officials reacted strongly to the August 6, 2010 federal court decision that placed the recovered Rocky Mountain gray wolf back on to the federal list of threatened and endangered species. Read more >>Other Mammals
The open prairie and hills of southwest Montana are prime areas to spot pronghorn, the fastest distance runners in the world. Fans of the cheetah may argue that the African feline is faster, but they’re only correct if the distance is up to a quarter mile or so. Read more >>
There are a lot of annoying critters out there, both wild and domestic—packrats, mice, magpies, roosters, raccoons, possums, porcupines, and poodles to name a few. But as far as sheer destructiveness goes, nothing in my experience beats a marmot. Read more >>
Deer season has arrived at last, and you’ve put in your time waiting and stalking. You finally have one in your sights—but do you know if it’s a whitetail or a muley? You should be able to tell the species almost instinctually before you pull the trigger. Read more >>
With the snow falling in Bozeman, local biologists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with the Forest Service, are underway with another season of capturing wolverines. Read more >>
Once the snow falls, there’s no better time than winter for “reading sign.” Whether snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, or surveying the landscape from a chairlift, picking out animal tracks and trails can enhance any outdoor experience. Read more >>
Yell. Association
The Yellowstone Association provides educational tools so you can learn more about the Park inside and out.
