August 12, 2024

A sow with two older cubs digging for caraway and foraging for clover.

Wrapping-up

As my summer comes to a close, I reflect on the last two seasons I have spent in Tom Miner Basin. There have been many lessons learned, sights seen, and memories made. I will forever cherish the morning rides through the landscape with the excited anticipation of not knowing what is to be found. I am grateful that I got to experience two completely different years and multiple seasons. Last year was incredibly wet, green, and lush. It was normal for it to rain almost every afternoon, and fires never once crossed my mind.  I have pictures of a pasture in September last year and it was more vibrant green then, than it was in July of this year. This year we are thinking about more than just predators. Fires, shade, water, and grass are all being discussed on a regular basis as we are experiencing extremely hot weather and lightning storms. So far, it has been manageable, but I know everyone, including myself and the cattle are welcoming the upcoming cooler weather.

A relaxed herd.

Bear activity has been interesting to contrast between years. Last year, I maybe saw 5 or so bears on rides total and this year I have seen 2-6 bears almost every single ride for the last three weeks. It is a good reminder than not every bear kills cattle, it is just a small handful that need to be dealt with effectively. Most of the bears I have been seeing are either sows with cubs or different groups of subadults traveling together, but I have seen the occasional large male. I have noticed the elk have come back in large herds, when last year they pretty much stayed away until the Fall. Also, I was lucky enough to see wolves this year, and I never saw any last year. I have only seen one moose and her calf, when in 2023 I saw several moose throughout the summer. Overall, there has been a fair amount of wildlife on the land.

Getting ready to move cows with the intense smoke and a storm brewing.

Wrapping up my time here has brought up many emotions, and many memories. I have compiled a list of some of the lessons I have learned while being a range rider. While this job takes many forms depending on how you make it your own, these are some of the tidbits I have picked up along the way:

• When your horse stops and swears something is there, believe them

• If there is a cow off by themselves, there is most often something wrong or worth investigating

• If you ride long enough along a fence line, surely there will be a gate somewhere, or so you hope

• Listen to the cattle, they can tell you a lot about what has happened in the pasture, and whether or not there is something to worry about

• As soon as you become lost in your thoughts, you are likely to see a bear

• If you hear short bursts in the trees from an air compressor (that is not an air compressor), it is a spooked bear

• Listen to your instincts, if you get a bad feeling about something, get out of there. Likewise, if you get a good or curious feeling, pursue it

• I have become an expert at rancher directions, for example: “So you’ll keep riding along the East fence line until you hit the big broken aspen. Once you feel the wind change directions you will follow the trail that the cows made back in 1998 until you hit the spot where that thing happened, remember that? Once you see the water tank it’s another two miles through thick timber until you hit a small gate, ya can’t miss it. If you do miss it, give me a call (there is no phone service)”

•  When they tell you the biting flies “only last two weeks”, buckle up for at least a month of insect torture

• At the ripe old age of 27 I groan and croak every time I hop off my horse to get a gate

• Many people fear grizzly bears more than any other animal on the landscape, and often what comes with that fear is false bravado and a conquerors mindset. Truly, they mostly just fear the unknown

• In remote areas, yelling “hey bear” long enough has the added benefit of alerting the cows to your presence, and if you get lucky, they will call back

• Yearling cattle move like schools of fish, everywhere, all the time, and through any weakness there may be in a fence

• That low guttural growl you hear? Although that instinct is telling you it’s an angry bear, it is just the half-hoarse bull in the herd trying to find his ladies

• Always bring some extra bailing twine, it can fix just about anything in a pinch

• Nothing can prepare you for how amazing seeing a pack of wolves is

• Is that a cow or a bear? From far away the big black dots are pretty hard to tell apart. Look for the shoulder hump or a tail swish before moving forward

• Being alone allows you to tune into everything on a much deeper level than when another human is around. I find all of the most interesting things when I am completely alone

• While I am usually alone in terms of people, I very rarely feel lonely thanks to the great dogs and horses that help me do my job

• Lastly, good communication is the key to everything. With your horse, with the producer, with the community. Maintaining a constant and clear line of communication with these parties really makes all the difference in building positive relationships and making sure the job gets done

I may be signing off as the Tom Miner Basin range rider, but a piece of my heart will always be attached to this place and this work. Though I have a busy few years ahead of me, I know that the basin will draw me back.

-Ellery Vincent

2023 ’24 Range Rider

A coyote moving through a pasture.

A herd of elk grazing.

A bull elk in the evening.

A short-tailed weasel checking me out.

July 20, 2024

Some thoughts on grizzly bear-livestock conflict

I clearly remember the first time I ever saw a grizzly bear; I was packing horses through the Teton Wilderness while working with a Forest Service trail crew. A subadult bear ran in front of our string and lumbered up the hill, and I was completely in awe, and a little scared. I had seen many black bears before this point, but no previous animal had ever made me feel simultaneously starstruck, humbled, and curious. The grizzly bear is majestic and mysterious, and a true symbol of wilderness. There is good reason why hundreds of people stop on the side of the road in Yellowstone or here in Tom Miner to catch a glimpse of a grizzly bear. I believe this moment in the backcountry is where my obsession with grizzly bears began.

Wolf tracks on the trail.

Brief update

We are experiencing a heat wave here in the basin, much like the rest of the West. Cattle have moved up into the forest permit lands and other herds are working through their grazing rotations. Grizzly activity seems to be on the rise much earlier than last year and we have been seeing bears frequently when out checking cattle, or just meandering around. I have seen wolf tracks up in the mountains and others have spotted wolves and bears on a carcass in the area. Other wildlife appears to be “business as usual”, and we have begun to place camera traps in order to characterize what wildlife is frequenting the area. We recently had a group of Environmental Studies undergraduates from University of Michigan class that came to learn about ranching and coexisting with predators that helped us remove some invasive plants from a pasture. I have been riding all over the place, bouncing around from ranch to ranch trying to cover as much ground as possible. Overall, the busy season has begun, and my days are spent tending to horses, cattle, and the landscape.

One of my primary range riding horses, Madiba. Owned by Louise Johns

I am extremely grateful to know and experience the “good” side of grizzly bears. They are incredibly intelligent, charismatic, goofy, and playful creatures. I am grateful to have watched them for thousands of hours up close both in captivity, and in McNeil River, AK. Watching their behavior in proximity allows you to see that even though they are frequently thought of as solitary creatures, they are actually incredibly social. Captive bears establish a pecking order, choose playmates, and cuddle when sleeping. Coastal brown bears on salmon streams exist in crowded conditions with a complex social dynamic as they navigate sharing resources. While lower 48 grizzly bears tend to be more solitary than coastal brown bears, they still seem to exhibit social behaviors.  We have watched 15+ bears foraging for caraway in the same night, in the same field without much conflict. The large amount of regional and individual variation makes grizzly bears extremely complex and adaptable creatures, so much so it is difficult to place them into one box .

Grizzly bear cub of the year.

Bear research has seen a shift towards understanding these individual differences more clearly and trying to better understand how different animals choose to interact with and utilize their environment. Ultimately, grizzly bears as a species are incredible generalists that become specialists on an individual level. Specifically, food usage is extremely variable among sexes, age classes, location, and the individual. We see patterns where larger male bears tend to consume higher protein diets with more meat to sustain overall larger body masses and energy expenditures, while smaller subadults and female bears can get by on a more plant dominant diet. This is especially relevant to ranching because every once in a while, there will be a bear that has learned to specialize in livestock.

Unfortunately, bears that have begun to take this route either need to be monitored, relocated (rarely successful), or removed from the population. Additionally, when there is nutritional stress placed on a population, this increases the likelihood for bears to seek out livestock as a food resource. For example, the decline of white bark pine seeds or cutthroat throat trout in the GYA means there needs to be a shift to another food resource to replace the macronutrient profile of that food. Cutthroat and white bark pine mast are high in lipids, and a quick and easy source of replacement fat for a starving grizzly bear is cattle. Lacking natural food resources that provide high-quality energy to create fat stores that sustain hibernation creates an unavoidable problem, no matter how much work is done on the producers end. Reducing bear-livestock conflict is a much larger job than just range riding and responsible cattle and range management, but a larger community-wide task of making sure there is intact wilderness with adequate biodiversity and food resources to sustain populations. Bears are resourceful creatures, and when pressed with limited resources combined with the heightened food drive of hyperphagia, they will turn to available resources, i.e. livestock.

Along with the “good”, there is also the reality about grizzly bears. If you have ever watched two males fighting during mating season or seen bears on a carcass, it provides you with a very raw perspective of how dangerous they can be. Many grizzly bears rely on a predominantly vegetation driven diet and will only opportunistically consume meat by either usurping carcasses from wolves, scavenging on winter-kills, or feeding on a carcass from another bears kill. However, hunting cattle is a learned behavior that can be self-taught through desperation, opportunity or a sow passing the behavior onto her cubs. It is especially important that grizzlies that have learned to kill cattle are dealt with quickly in order to prevent repeating the behavior. Grizzly bears suspected to be involved in depredation events should be assessed on an individual basis as these events are frequently isolated to individual bears. Upcoming advancements in genotyping DNA found on carcasses can help better identify bears responsible for cattle kills, and better manage problem bears. Understanding why grizzly bears may be attracted to cattle is fundamental in a larger community effort to reduce depredation and better manage landscapes, ranches, and bear populations to sit within equilibrium.

Checking the Grizzly Creek cow/calf herd.

Brown bear in McNeil River, AK.

-Ellery Vincent

 2023 ’24 Range Rider

June 18 2024

A brief moment in time

As I come over the ridge, I see a familiar and spectacular view. The snowcapped Gallatin range, blooming wildflowers, vibrant green grass, and cattle off in the distance. I close my eyes and I feel the cool morning breeze blowing through the aspens. I hear horseshoes on rock and cows calling to their calves. I feel calm yet completely overwhelmed with how beautiful Tom Miner Basin really is. Of course, I already know this, but it’s like falling in love all over again. As I urge my horse forward, I find myself thinking about how much I love working in wild places. I never feel quite so content and at peace than in these moments. My mind wanders into introspection and I wonder “what exactly it was about this place that makes it so special?” What I land on is that being surrounded by raw, uninterrupted nature and sharing the landscape with wildlife that keep you on your toes forces you to remain present in the moment. This presence is what makes range riding so enjoyable, and successful. As I finish my thought and continue my ride, I see cattle lying in the shade, ruminating, happy as clams. All seems well, but I have a subconscious urge to check the back corner of this particular pasture, just in case. I see a cow off by herself standing in the shade. If there is one thing I have learned range riding, it is that cattle standing by themselves is worth checking out. As I approach, I see she has gone into labor and two little feet have begun to emerge. In really no time at all a beautiful new life is born, a true gift to witness. There is a duality in range riding; some days I witness new life, like today. Other times I am the one to find death. In both instances I feel the importance of this work and how understanding animal behavior and the landscape can shed light on what has been happening in the pasture since you were last there. You truly never know what you are going to find out there, and that is the magic of it--if you cannot tell, I am very happy to be back.

New life on the ranch and the view in question

Looking forward to the season ahead

Since I already have a season under my belt, I am looking forward to improving my range riding techniques. As I now know the landscape like the back of my hand, I believe this will help me do a better job knowing where and what to look for. I remember which pastures tend to have more bear sign, where cattle like to bed up in the shade, what to look for is something is out of the ordinary, and where all the gates are (heck, just where to go, period). While, some patterns remain across years, I have begun to see differences between now and last summer. It has been quite warm this year and there was minimal snowpack in the mountains. Last year at this time it was raining almost every single day and grass was never an issue. It will be interesting to see how this heat and lack of precipitation cascades down and affects the landscape, vegetation, wildlife, and cattle. My initial thought is that less vegetation will lead to greater ecological stress, and will thus increase the importance of range riding exponentially as natural food resources are less abundant. Also, since this appears to be a dryer year, cattle may play and even larger role in helping reduce fuel for wildfires and improving range health.

Cattle grazing in the early season

I stressed this last year, but I think it is worth saying again. When ranching in predator country it is essential to have a deep knowledge of the ecological and biological dynamics of the ecosystem. Not just as a producer, but as someone going out into the landscape alone. Having a profound understanding about where and when different species utilize the landscape can make all the difference in deciding how to best manage cattle. For example, it would be unwise to put cattle in a pasture brimming with ripening berry patches in the middle of hyperphagia, or repeatedly distrubing an elks calving grounds in an aspen grove in early summer. We cannot prevent every depredation event, however, if we are willing to pay attention and listen to the landscape, we can do our best to help predators and cattle coexist, while improving range health.

Some finds: birds nest, claw marks on a tree, badger hole, and an elk leg

 My time in the basin this year will be relatively short, as I have to return to school mid-August. However, I look forward to continue gathering useful information that can be used for future insightful cattle and range management and reducing conflict with grizzly bears.

-Ellery Vincent

 2023 ’24 Range Rider

30 August 2023

Range Riding Update

The basin has shifted considerably. This August is still vibrant green, and though we have had a few hot days here and there, there has been a considerable amount of rain and cooler weather. There is a noticeable shift in the wildlife dynamic here, I have not seen large herds of elk in a few weeks, but we know they will be back in early fall for the rut. The most dominant animal on the landscape at the moment is the grizzly bear and we are seeing them often. They can be found digging for carraway, foraging for berries, and unfortunately several times---going after cattle.  It seems as if most of the ungulate species (moose, elk, deer) are staying up higher, and I have been able to capture their use of higher elevation habitat via camera trap, see below. Overall, the diversity in wildlife I see on a daily basis has decreased since the bears have entered hyperphagia, and my guess is that is no coincidence. It will be interesting to see how the wildlife landscape continues to change as we enter ungulate breeding seasons and slowly approach winter.

A moose caught on a trail camera.

Since my last blog, we have had several depredation events in the basin. Range riding and frequent cattle checks allowed us to find carcasses early enough for USDA wildlife services to accurately determine the death was predator related. For example, on my morning ride I was moving from a lower cow/calf herd up the next bench to a herd of heifers. Almost immediately, I found a heifer that was completely alone with limited movement, which was reason to suspect something was amiss. Upon closer examination I determined based on prior knowledge her injuries indicated she was most likely attacked by a grizzly. It appeared as if she had run after the initial attack and ended up away from the herd. At first glance at her injury locations (facial, shoulder, back, and sides) it seemed probable that it was an attempted depredation by a grizzly bear. Bears generally will jump on the cows back and bite down on their spine, which leads to wounds around the withers, back and neck, as well as using their claws to grip their sides. In contrast, wolf-related kills, generally leave bite wounds attacking from behind and repeatedly damage the hindquarter. Of course these are generalities and every individual is opportunistic and has different methods (ie this particular bear went for the skull). My suspicions were supported shortly after investigating her wounds when I saw a grizzly come out of the grass nearby and assess the situation. The bear went bipedal (stood up) in an attempt to better see, hear, and smell me and naturally, in this position I made plenty of noise and had my bear spray out and ready to use (this is my time to get on my soapbox---carry bear spray!). Thankfully, this was a textbook bear encounter, and the bear took off when it saw and heard me make noise horseback. Due to the heifers condition and facial injuries, we determined it was best for her welfare to euthanize her. While this loss was difficult, range riding allowed for us to find the heifer before she was further attacked, get a specialist to look at the wounds and confirm depredation, place the carcass in a safer location for the cattle and people on the ranch, and due to seeing the grizzly bear several times during this endeavor, scare the bear off the attempted kill.

While not favorable, these depredation events provide ranchers with more information about how to best manage cattle at a given time in grizzly bear country. Due to these recent events, we took the initiative to move cattle closer to headquarters, check them more frequently, and turn the electric fence on. These small changes can make all the difference in reducing depredation, because after all grizzly bears and wolves do not know that they are doing anything wrong. It is our duty as stockmen and land stewards to respond to the landscape and wildlife and proactively manage herds in response to bear behavior. For the rest of the season, I will be continuing to ride through all of the herds we are keeping down low and monitor the landscape for signs of bear activity. We will take in new information as it comes and remain flexible in managing our herds.

Cattle at Grizzly Creek Ranch.

Finally, I have been working with Blakley Adkins of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition collecting human and bear data up at the bear viewing site across from B-Bar Ranch’s meadow. This bear viewing spot has been managed by the Tom Miner Basin Association and local ranchers since it has become more and more popular over the years. While most visitors I have run across have been nothing short of lovely, there is always the unfortunate bad apples that ruin the experience for others, whether it be harassing bears, leaving trash, smoking, or driving too fast down the road. I am present most weekends collecting people and bear counts as well as answering questions about bears. If you see me there with my clipboard sitting on top of my car, feel free to come up and give me a shout, as I would love to chat with you about bears, range riding, or anything in between. We also have surveys in the mailbox by the sign that we would very much appreciate if you could fill out for your party you are traveling with. Any information we can collect helps us improve and continue to manage this precious grizzly viewing site, so that it can be enjoyed for years to come.

Just after haying season.

In the next month or so calves will be weaned, and most cattle will be leaving or ready to leave the basin. As I finish out the cattle season, I am reflecting on all the beautiful moments I have shared exploring new country, seeing some of the most amazing wildlife in North America, and of course helping reduce predator-cattle conflict.

Scouting for bears at B-Bar meadow.

The informational sign at the bear viewing site.

Ellery Vincent

2023 Range Rider

The grass is still green here in the basin, and it’s almost September.

7 August 2023

Update

I have been riding the two herds in Forest Service permit land twice a week, as well as checking herds up high at Grizzly Creek and Anderson ranch.  This has kept me quite busy and allowed me to cover some serious ground and see lots of different country. We have had our first depredation of the season in the basin, and since bears are in the beginning stages of hyperphagia, this increase in grizzly predation is expected. Every year there is a predictable amount of loss that simply will happen due to ranching in a dense predator area, some of those carcasses will be found, some may not be due to the vast area we have to cover. The first predator related carcass of the year was a calf that had wounds to the head, and I also found a relatively fresh calf carcass while riding in the FS permit a week earlier. By the time I got to the site, most of the carcass was eaten and there were turkey vultures and bear scat and urine in the area. Since I was able to alert the USDA Willdlife Services Biologist, Jim Rost relatively quickly, he was able to come out and determine that the cause of death was not predator related. Range riding helps us A) reduce depredation through predictable movement on the landscape and observation of changing predator or herd behavior B) find carcasses sooner for a biologist to determine cause of death/reimburse producer.

Saddling up to check cattle at sunrise

Along with range riding, myself and AJ, an undergraduate at Harvard, have been working on brewing and applying compost tea to weed infested areas. Compost tea is composed of vermicast (a rich compost soil made entirely by red wriggler worms and their droppings), fermented plant juices, mineral, and based on soil testing in weeded areas, either Calcium (houndstongue patches) or Boric acid (hoary alyssum patches). The idea behind applying this compost tea to the affected areas is to give the native plants an advantage in competing for the soil, and along with weed abatement gives native plants a chance to cover the ground again. We will continue to work on weed management throughout the season as a regular duty of being a steward of the land.

Grizzly bear ecology and ranching

Compost tea brewing

In the teabag: vermicast and fermented mugwort

I mentioned that we aim to utilize ecological knowledge of the basin to our advantage when deciding how to best manage the cattle. It is important to be aware of that we are bringing a domestic animal into a highly seasonal and wild place. With prior knowledge of seasonal behavior of the wildlife in this region, we can plan cattle management more effectively and allow for better coexistence. For example, grizzly bears are highly seasonal animals that possess physiology and behavior that changes at throughout the year. They hibernate in the winter, relying solely on fat stores that were obtained from the previous active season, and maintain a several hundred-pound body that hovers around 30-34 C without food for up to 6 months at a time. When they emerge in the spring, they are opportunistic omnivores that will forage for any available food resources they can such as winterkills, emerging grasses/sedges, and just about anything else they can find. In recent years, some grizzly bears have shifted their spring focus to prioritizing hunting elk calves. Since predation is becoming a larger part of GYA grizzly bear behavior, it is helpful for cattle producers to calve later each year to make sure that either calves are larger when entering grazing land in the basin, or that cows are calving at the same time as the elk (and not before, there is safety in numbers----a great example is wildebeest calving in Africa).

Moving cattle up to the grazing permit on a rainy day

As summer progresses, grizzly behavior and physiology begins to shift dramatically, almost as if a switch has been flipped. This switch refers to hyperphagia, a time when grizzly appetites increase exponentially in order to increase body fat percentages to sufficient levels to survive hibernation (fun fact: grizzly sows will be bred in early summer but will not implant an embryo until they have sufficient body fat in the late Fall-leading to a short two-month gestation period followed by a hibernation birth!). During August and September these hyperphagic bears begin to come to lower elevations in their intense search for food. With the loss of some of their natural food resources such as white bark pine seed and cutthroat trout; carraway root (invasive plant found throughout grazing areas on the ranches here in the basin), and cattle become more appealing options. Since we know this predictable bear behavior, it is important during this time to be proactive by increasing human presence on the landscape and keeping a closer eye on the herds and wildlife behavior. It is extremely important to find and report carcasses in a timely manner, as we do not want to attract other bears or allow for repeat offenders to continuously return to the herd without understanding there are humans watching over.

A grizzly bear is captured on a trail camera walking through a creek crossing

Both grizzly bears and cattle are resilient animals, and naturally there will always be some level of conflict. The goal of things like range riding are to collect information while simultaneously trying to minimize conflict through being physically present and reading the landscape and animals. I frequently get asked how I feel about riding with bears, and how often I see them. That answer varies as sometimes I go a week without seeing a bear, and some days I see several. I also see physical evidence such as tracks, scat, or other sign, and instinctually can feel bear activity in an area. As a trained biologist, it is hard for me to say that energy and non-physical things drive my decision making out there, but they frequently do. I both remain observational about physical, tangible things, but I am also acutely aware of feelings or instincts not only from myself, but from the animals I take with me, wildlife, or the weather. I think that remaining observational, curious, and listening to your gut are all necessary traits to being able to range ride in predator country. Overall, bear activity is ramping up here in the basin, and I am looking forward to continuing to range ride and finish out the cattle season with as little conflict as possible.

A sow with two COY’s (cubs of the year) forages for caraway root in the evening

Ellery Vincent

2023 Range Rider

ellery.vincent@wsu.edu

6 July 2023

Summer in the basin is finally here. After about a month of colder temperatures and seemingly endless precipitation (though we are grateful!), we are finally getting some sun. With the approaching summer means the appearance of more wildlife and cattle are moving up to the Forest Service permit land. Some of my most exciting moments from the past month have been watching a heifer calve surprise twins, seeing Green lake for the first time, and getting to know the land as I am able to get out and ride more. With the summer sun comes the appearance of the blooming wildflowers including paintbrush, arnica, and the bears non-native favorite, carraway. We have seen several bald eagles around the ranch, elk cows are starting to bring their calves out into the open, grizzlies have begun to make an appearance, there are wolf tracks up on the mountain, and the rock chucks and marmots chirp when I ride by.  Overall, the atmosphere is becoming more lively here day by day.

A rainbow following an afternoon, summer storm.

What have you been up to?

Aside from my daily range rides (which I discuss below), I have been setting up camera traps in strategic places, as well as helping a MS student from MSU, Taylor, check her camera traps for her graduate research project. I also do plenty of weed management in areas where invasive species like houndstongue, hoary alyssum, and knapweed may be present in order to preserve the overall health and biodiversity of the grazing land. When land is overgrazed or damaged in some way, invasive weeds will outcompete native plants for space and nutrients and can take over entire areas. This is problematic because some of these weeds are not palatable to cattle at best, or lethal at worst. It is beneficial to all parties in the basin to maintain the integrity of the grazing land whether it be for economic, conservation, or spiritual reasons.

A bald eagle sits on a dead tree on a moody day.

What does a typical range riding morning like?

My typical morning is spent saddling up and then taking a ride through whichever herd I am monitoring that day. My job is to maintain a human presence on the landscape that will hopefully deter depredation events and give us more insight into our animals and the environment. Some questions I ask myself while I am riding might be: where are the cattle and what are they doing? If they are all peacefully grazing, or settled it is safe to assume all is well, whereas if everyone is anxious and vocal, there might be a stressor nearby. Are they bunched or are they scattered? We encourage cows and calves to remain in a group in order to offer the best protection in the event of a predator attack. We aim to model bison populations that stay closely grouped, move as a herd, and have mothers that will find and defend their young during predator attack events. Grouped prey animals reduce the risk of a vulnerable calf from being singled out and pursued by either a wolf, bear, lion, etc. Similarly, the quick intense impact of their hooves and fecal matter help stimulate grass growth and fertilization of the soil. Are there any injuries or perceivable illness? It is essential to keep a watchful eye for obvious injuries (whether it be predator related or not) and disease. Herd health is fundamental for not only animal welfare in general, but also reducing the risk of having vulnerable animals that are more susceptible to predation. Tom Miner Basin is predator country, so in order to graze cattle efficiently and successfully, it is essential to understand predator behavior dynamics and ecology to reduce conflict. What wildlife is around? If there are elk or deer nearby with babies, it is likely that all is peaceful. If there is bird sign, whether it be magpies, ravens, or vultures, that may mean there is a carcass in the area. Getting a good sense of what wildlife is lingering by the cattle may be a good indicator of the status of that immediate area. Range riding is a bit like solving a puzzle or a mystery. There are endless clues to observe, but it up to you as the rider to weave them together into a meaningful story of what has occurred on the landscape. We can then use that story to make informed cattle management decisions. Are there signs of predators? Looking for fresh predator tracks, fur or drag marks, bear dig sites, flipped rocks, or the animal itself are good indicators of bear, wolf, or mountain lion activity in the immediate area. Being aware of predators close to the cattle can prevent conflict and allow us to make proactive decisions, rather than waiting for a loss to happen. What does the grass look like? Finally, it is important to assess the grazing condition of the land and prevent overgrazing that can lead to excess invasive weeds or deterioration of the land due to erosion. In order to best manage grazing, we pass cattle through small paddocks for short periods of time to give them time to make an impact on the land and then move on so it can recover. In this area, we are also concerned about grazing in areas with ample larkspur, a fatal toxin to cattle. These are just a few of the questions I try to answer while out riding, but ultimately with open eyes and an open mind, the landscape and the animals speak for themselves.

Riding through the hay fields to check cattle.

A calf, minutes after being born.

What about the bears?

Given that my expertise is in grizzly bear biology, I find myself becoming excited that the bears are starting to spend more time at lower elevations in the basin. Due to this, we are starting to prepare the public bear viewing area as the grasses dry up and we slowly approach peak bear season, hyperphagia. There has been a slow, but palpable upward shift in bear activity as we pass the 4th of July and I have been seeing tracks, dig sites, and grizzlies on the camera traps at lower elevations. With this in mind, it is important when visiting public lands and wild places to be mindful of the impact you are making on the land, wildlife, and the people that live there. If you choose to visit Tom Miner Basin to view bears, we encourage you to observe safely by remaining near your vehicles, carrying bear spray, not smoking or cooking, leaving the pups at home, keeping the noise down, and being extra aware of where the bears are moving. Additionally, we place stations with the tools necessary to put out small fires in the parking area in an effort to prevent forest fires. Grizzlies are intelligent animals that will try to avoid human conflict unless placed in a situation where they have no other choice. This makes it our duty as humans to make sure we are recreating responsibly in their habitat. It is no secret that people are enamored by grizzlies because they represent wild, untouched places. It is precisely this sentiment that makes it exceedingly important for us to be behave responsibly in order for them to remain wild.

Prior to becoming a range rider my MS research focused on grizzly bear physiology where I examined the association between circadian rhythms and metabolism during hibernation. After the cattle season, I am headed back to school to pursue my PhD focusing on grizzly bear nutritional ecology in the Arctic, with the goal to be a bear biologist in the future. Given this, my next blog post will focus more on grizzly bear seasonal biology and how we utilize this knowledge combined with good stockmanship to best integrate the cattle into a predatory environment.

Bear tracks in the mud.

-Ellery Vincent,

2023 Range Rider

12 June 2023

The start of the 2023 range riding season has begun! This is my first year out in Tom Miner Basin and I am beyond excited to spend countless hours in the saddle surveying cattle, wildlife, and the landscape while connecting with and educating the community. I find myself in constant awe of the beauty and wildness of this area and count myself extremely lucky to get to work here. I have always been passionate about the interface between humans and wildlife, and I could not think of a better and more innovative way to participate in this work. Previously you could find me doing a myriad of jobs: wrangling, zookeeping, livestock research, and most recently grizzly bear research. If it involved animals, I have likely done it. The common denominator with these jobs is my passion to facilitate positive relationships between wildlife, livestock, people, and the land. I have long been searching for a way to combine these elements, and what better place than one of the most beautiful and wildlife-rich places on earth (yes, I am now biased). This basin and the intricate dynamics of ranching in predator country is a complex dance that is always evolving, and I think this work should not go unnoticed. I am excited and honored to share with you all the amazing work that is being done to enhance peace between all parties in the basin. Below you will find a summary of what I have been up to so far during my first week here.

Wildlife. Things are relatively quiet on the wildlife front as of yet. I have heard whispers and murmurs of grizzlies in the area, but nothing close to what will be coming later in the summer. They are likely beginning to forage for food as vegetation sprouts, sows are emerging with COY’s (cubs of the year), and males are beginning to search for breeding opportunities. We have seen elk and moose cows starting to calve, sandhill cranes walking along, coyotes scavenging, and badgers coming out of their burrows. We are getting ready to put out the first round of camera traps, and I am sure that along with continued riding it will reveal an array of wildlife species interacting with the land beyond our immediate field of view.

Community. Range riding and ranching in general is all about relationships. That is why events like brandings are so important. Shortly after arriving in Tom Miner, we spent the day at J Bar L ranch near Big Timber branding one of this year’s herds of calves. Brandings are an opportunity to not only brand, vaccinate, etc., but a time for the ranching community to come together and help one another. This day was full of hard work and meeting new people that all made me feel welcome. Since my job is to support livestock producers in an area where ranching is just plain difficult, it is imperative to maintain solid relationships with the community in order to do the most meaningful work.

Horses. Much of my first few weeks here have been spent building relationships with the horses. I am lucky enough to be able to ride several horses owned by the Anderson’s (Ben, Moby, Nagos, Jeep) and it has been simultaneously wonderful and exhausting bringing them out of their winter of rest. These horses are the most important part of this operation. They are going to carry me over some rough country and there is no doubt that we will encounter challenges: predators, weather, and mileage. However, I take solace in knowing that we are putting in the time in the round pen and the trail to build a strong relationship that will keep us both safe while doing our jobs. The horses’ efforts should never go unnoticed as they are the bread and butter of a successful range riding program.

 Public. Perhaps the most important, yet the most often ignored aspect of successful human and wildlife relationships is educating the public. I had the pleasure of taking a group of 1st graders from the Gardiner/Emigrant area around the ranch and sharing with them the duties and importance of range riding, the challenges of raising livestock in the basin, and how absolutely amazing the land and wildlife is in this area. Of course, being that these kiddos are just shy of 8, we also showed them the ponies, chickens, and they were most enamored by our rag-tag pack of mismatched dogs. They also had the opportunity to see the schoolhouse, built in 1900, which is a rich piece of history, and it was special to share it with the next generation.

Cattle. Finally, we had cattle arrive this week. The herd is looking good and working their way through the property on their way up to the grazing permit land. I have begun to ride through the herd in order to establish a routine that the predators in the area will respond to. I can tell everyone, horses and dogs included, are excited to have the cows and calves around.

Thanks for tuning in, I will be sharing more as the summer progresses!

-Ellery Vincent

Range Rider

Letter from the co-founder

Unbeknown to social media and other outlets, our work has thoughtfully continued for the past few years and I hold a great amount of admiration for our mountain community as we continue to move through our stories together; as seasons change and people and wildlife come and go. When this journey started, I couldn’t have imagined the twists and turns having accompanied us in different ways, through various lenses. I continue to have a deep sense of gratitude for the gift to have grown up here and now witnessing my own children living in such a dynamic place. 

These days, it feels right to walk with more questions instead of searching for more answers, all while remaining open to the notion that perhaps there are no true experts in the fields of complex living systems. Perhaps we won’t find exact answers to the questions we humans have as we live and work on a wild and precious landscape. Can we still thrive in the unknowing? I think so.

Maybe part of some sort of answer is to be in more process together- valuing ideas different from our own, open to the notion that the changing landscape itself holds more lessons of adaptability than we’ve given credit to and open to the idea that understanding really happens when those who are present feel a sense of belonging. ‘Those’ being so much more than just human community.

We’ve learned through hard knocks that with risks and change come disturbances, often fearful and unsettling from our human perspective, And yet disturbance is fundamentally essential and a natural process in the resiliency of an ecosystem. And as my wise friend Tuck so eloquently shared- it offers an opportunity for an ecosystem to express itself, for a new song to begin.

For me, there is safety in knowing we are all in this together with much perspective to listen to, whether it be from the land itself or our fellow inhabitants. Another question emerges- can we quiet ourselves enough to listen? 

My own values in the work I choose to do in this community and beyond anchors in the notion that we all belong to each other. It’s in the moments we are aware, engaged, stay curious, and offer deep listening together that opportunity for clarity and willingness emerge.

So, whether it’s driving (very) slowly up and then down this old dirt road, picking up trash along the way; not smoking outside while visiting during fire season; sharing well-informed and objective understandings around the complexities of grizzly bears and humans and our overlapping habitats; and being thoughtful and accountable when visiting the rural, we greatly appreciate the refrain from contributing to what often feels like a large human footprint, even if it is just to catch a glimpse of a grizzly bear. We too understand it is an amazing sight to see. And in those times we all have the privilege (and it really is a privilege) to enjoy public roads and lands, might we be open to exploring our own relationship with contribution? What can we offer of ourselves when we visit these unique and wild places? Whether we are aware or not, we often come to these places to take something- a photo, a harvest, a memory, an antler or shed, grazing utilization, peace of mind, and more. How might we humans positively contribute to a more balanced relationship with our natural world?

In 2020 and 2021, the Tom Miner Basin Association shifted some of its focus to observing, analyzing, and collecting landscape data in a variety of forms with the hopes of better understanding the dynamic system we continue to live and work within. With the help of our amazing colleague Blakeley, and our MSU intern Michael, we continued observing and collecting data about the complex roles our living soils and plant/wildlife community play as they continue to diversify and adapt to changing (micro and macro) ecosystems, wildlife movement, regenerative agriculture practices, and more.

We are committed to sharing insights we’ve stumbled upon through our own curiosity, engagement, and importantly- collaboration. As always, feel welcome to contact the Association regarding community events, shared- learning opportunities, human/livestock/carnivore conflict reduction tools and techniques, and direction on how to find professional consultants in your area in the fields of living systems and soils, wildlife biology, and regenerative agriculture. There is so much to learn and we are grateful for the opportunity to continue doing so. 

Humbly and curiously yours,

M

Winter sunset, Tom Miner Basin

Common Bear Misconceptions

Bears (grizzlies in particular) are often misunderstood. Movies like Legends of the Fall make grizzlies out to be giant, blood-thirsty carnivores seeking revenge on humans. The media also loves a good bear-mauling story and tend to stretch the truth. These stories commonly don’t include the human-error side of things- as in what hikers, campers, hunters, and fishermen are responsible for while traveling in bear country and how to prevent conflict in the future. In reality bears are just as fearful of us as we are of them. Their diet does include meat in the form of fish, insects and mammals, but largely consists of vegetation and berries. It is extremely rare that a bear has a taste for humans. Some people view bears as cute and cuddly which is also far from the truth. The last thing a bear wants from us is a hug. This inaccurate information only feeds these misconceptions, creating more fear leading people to believe we are in grave danger every time we see a bear or travel through bear habitat.  

Misconceptions

Although the list is long, here are a few common misconceptions about bears:

* When people see a grizzly they typically assume it is a ‘huge male’ and must weigh close to 1,000 pounds. It is common for humans to want to believe when they see a carnivore it is the biggest one on the landscape. Although brown bears can weigh over 1,000 pounds in some cases, their weight fluctuates significantly based on the ecosystem and time of year.  The average weight for a male grizzly in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is between 300-700 pounds and 200-400 pounds for females. 

A male and female adult grizzly side by side. (Photo by Blakeley Adkins)

 *When people see a bear standing on its hind legs they usually assume it is going to charge them or is acting aggressively. In reality they are simply trying to get a better idea of something that they have heard, seen, or smelled. It is a far better vantage point than standing on all fours. You will often see cubs standing on their hind legs due to their size and curiosity, or larger bears picking up on another bear’s scent in the area or a human close by and doing the same.  

Young cub standing to get a better view. (Photo by Blakeley Adkins)

 *Charging and vocalization is often thought to lead to an attack. This is rarely the case. Coming into physical contact with a human or another bear expels a lot or energy and not something a bear does unless it thinks it’s necessary. Bears will bluff charge one another to show dominance and try to move another bear out of the area and they will do the same to people. Sometimes confident bears will expect you to move out of the way first when you are sharing a trail or road. It is a good idea to do so if this happens but does not mean an attack is inevitable simply because the bear wants you to move along. Vocalizations can mean a variety of things including stress, fear, anger, hunger, distress, or surprise. This can be in the form of “huffing” or “chuffing”, teeth popping, and bawling, but vary rarely the roaring that you hear in the movies.  

*Black bears are often viewed of as a non-threat while grizzlies are seen as dangerous and aggressive. These assumptions are due to the fact that black bears evolved in forested habitat where they typically had thick cover to run into or a tree to climb when they encountered a threat. Because of this they have curved claws which aid in climbing trees. This common behavior does not mean black bears are not capable of hurting you or will always run away from you. We should remember that they can act aggressively, occasionally harm and even kill humans, and should give them the space and respect they deserve.  Grizzlies on the other hand evolved in open plain habitat which is why they often stand their ground when they encounter a threat.  As humans we are used to having wildlife backdown first which is not always the case with grizzlies. They humble us which I why they are an important species to keep around.  

*Grizzlies and Kodiaks fall into the same species which is universally called brown bears (Ursus arctos). Black bears (Ursus americana) range from cinnamon to jet black to white in color but are all the same species as well. Size and color are not accurate ways to identify bear species.  

A white black bear also known of as a spirit bear or Kermode (photo by Blakeley Adkins)

 

A female dark brown bear

Bear Behavior

Bears express themselves through body language when they encounter another bear.  Posturing, the direction their ears are facing, their stance, where they are looking, and their movements all communicate a mood and social rank to another bear. A bear that is swatting the ground with its ears back and looking directly at another bear is conveying a very different message than one which is looking away from another bear with its ears perked up and head down.  Bears use this same body language when they encounter humans. They are testing their dominance and determining who will be the one to back down first.  Knowing how to read into this behavior is important, will make you less fearful and allow you to act accordingly when you encounter bears in the future. If you are a dog owner you will notice many similarities between dog behavior and bear behavior. Many people think bears are unpredictable, but if you are able to read their body language you will realize this is not the case.  

This black bear looks angry but is actually just yawning.

Be Bear Aware

The best thing we can do when traveling in bear country is make noise to alert bears of your presence.  A human voice is the best method as a bear bell, clapping, whistling and banging sticks together is noisy but can be confused with something other than a person.  Secondly, always carry bear spray.  A gun is not a bad thing if you know how to use it and it makes you feel safe, but bear spray is non-lethal, easier to aim, and proven to be far more effective than a firearm. Thirdly, educate yourself on bear ecology and bear behavior. Lastly, be aware of bear attractants and how to properly manage them when recreating or living in bear country.  This includes food, garbage, livestock, carcasses, fruit trees, bird seed, and vegetable gardens. Bears are food focused and your ability to control the situation will be far less when food is involved.  Further information on this and more can be found at:   http://www.bearsmart.com/

 Written by: Blakeley Adkins, TMBA

Summer 2020

Hello everyone! We’re excited to report some of us in Tom Miner Basin have been exploring different angles this summer. Range riding continues to happen, but we are also piecing together our first year of a scent deterrent study with hope to better understand grizzly bear movement and behavior. The ultimate question would be: Can we use any scent deterrent in the future to deter grizzly bears and other large carnivores from livestock locations. 

 Bears live life through their nose. They are solitary animals who prefer to avoid encounters with other individuals. They depend on scent communication to let others know they are around and to decipher who else is in the area. Bears have scent glands in a variety of places including their foot pads, the nape of their neck, and between their shoulder blades.  A common way of communicating is by rubbing their back against a tree which others bears frequently encounter.  As they do this they will typically urinate and bite and claw the trunk.  Frequently visited trees are usually along a game trail or road, at a creek crossing, or an intersection.  It looks like bears are dancing as they shimmy up and down a tree trunk, and some say they are scratching an itch, but in reality, they are communicating.  Popular rub trees can be identified by finding chunks of hair, smooth or mud-covered bark, and large gouges taken out of the wood by their teeth and claws. Bears will not only use trees to leave their scent behind and have been seen rubbing on man-made structures as well. 

Another common method of scent communication is called a stomp trail. This is when bears (typically males) will make enforced footprints and create a short trail in order to secrete scent from their foot pads as much as possible. It looks like they are doing the twist or a “cowboy walk”. These are typically found next to rub trees and can be identified by larger patches of bare dirt where vegetation has been stomped into the earth.

 We have been spending time actively searching for rub trees and stomp trails around the basin, this summer. Remote cameras have been set-up at a dozen sites so we can determine who is visiting, and how frequently.  As we get a better idea about who is in the area, our next step is to add dominant male grizzly scent to popular locations and see if the frequency in visitations shifts. We will also be observing their behavior as they encounter this unknown grizzly scent.  Our hope is that visits become less frequent and that bears (males and females alike) avoid these areas, keeping in mind variabilities such as seasonality- breeding, hyperphasia, etc. If found to be successful, this scent could be used near livestock to encourage avoidance. 

So, how are we collecting this dominant grizzly scent? The Grizzly Encounter has partnered with us on this research and agreed to collect urine and scent covered logs and woodchips from their captive bears. A 400 pound, 1 year old Kodiak and an 18 year old, 800 pound grizzly are our selected participants for this study. We know very little about the social structure of bears, and there is a lot which we will never fully understand. However, data collected around these large/older and unknown grizzlies scents introduced to local basin bears to a new smell that makes them think twice. We’re excited about this endeavor and will keep you posted on any updates! 

While we continue our same (and yet different year to year) work around supporting resiliency in our rural community and building upon the work we’ve done in the past centered in healthy, shared landscapes, we work from a place of observing and learning from our natural environment so that we might better understand ways of thriving in a greater natural system. 

Taking the time to understand large carnivores like grizzlies through studies like this one will help us better understand how to share our spaces with them and avoid negative interactions.  

Thank you to Casey Anderson and the staff at Grizzly Encounter, Bart and Max the grizzly bears, Louise Johns, Andrew Stein, and Montana FWP for your help and guidance with this research.  

Blog by Blakeley Adkins

My Last Blog Post of the 2019 Range Rider Season

Forestry Permit Update

The forestry permits that I monitor within the Gallatin National Forest have continued to have high bear activity throughout August. One benefit of riding this area consistently is the ability to notice shifts in wildlife presence on the landscape. Last Friday, August 16th, it was a very cool and clear morning. The previous evening storms had rolled through that dumped over half an inch of rain in a very short period of time. Since it had been quite dusty before this storm, the rain allowed the trails to become a fresh canvas for new tracks. The trail camera did not have an SD card at the time and the tracks left behind were the only way I could gather what was going on in this particular permit area.

It was a loud morning in the permit. When riding to permit that day, I thought one of the livestock mangers must have been moving cattle because of the persistent calling of cows. Usually it is a fairly quiet ride up to the permit area and when I arrived at the gate, one older cow was present. After confirming with a livestock manager that no one was pushing cattle, I continued on my ride and saw no fresh cattle sign or presence. What I did see was plenty of bear tracks, all heading towards the permit gate area. The tracks I found included both black and grizzly bear as well as a grizzly bear cub.

Hard rainstorms are a bit of a treat because of the clean slate provided for new tracks

On my ride back I couldn’t help but notice quite a large rock that had been moved from its location by a grizzly bear. Rather than rotate the rock over on its long end the bear was strong enough to stand the rock on its small side- this just shows the remarkable amount of strength grizzlies have.

Bears and Rocks: My horse was quite confused how this rock had moved since we were at this exact location less than 24 hours before

When I returned to the permit gate the older cow was still there, she was in the wrong permit area and was from another herd. When she was walking, I noticed lameness to her gait. I was not able to get in contact with the livestock manager due to poor phone reception and made the decision to bring the cow back to its home ranch where two other lame cows that never went to permit resided. As I pushed the cow home it was easy for me to see why she was alone- walking over logs was difficult for her as was climbing uphill. When I talked to the livestock managers that evening about the cattle locations from the raucous that morning I mentioned that despite the overwhelming number of bears traveling through that area, I did not believe the bears were out for blood and hunting the cattle because the lame cow I brought back to its home ranch was completely unharmed.

There were three total carcasses found over this summer. One was definitively a larkspur caused death, one carcass was too consumed to determine why the cow died and the third was recently found so no verdict yet. The last carcass found was drug through the fence from forestry permit onto private ranch-land by grizzly bears, the plural of bear used intentionally due to the variety of different hairs snagged in the barbed-wire fence.

The hooves behind the permit rides…

Marvin and I helping moving cow-calf pairs to permit earlier this summer

I do not own any of the three horses I used during the cattle monitoring period within the forestry grazing allotments. The bay quarter horse, “Marvin”, I have worked with the past couple years for another ranch. The Appaloosa, “Appie”, belongs to one of the livestock managers. The last of the three musketeers is a Haflinger named Kevin that is owned by a ranch manager near the Tom Miner Basin who I knew from working other horses he owned.  

Appie on the most southern extent of the permit area

These three fellas put in many long days and my summer would not have been the same without these 4 legged co-workers that had to be mountain horse and cowhorse. Marvin and Appie came into the job as cowhorses. Once I taught Kevin the basics of cattle-work in high country he also became quite keen for the opportunity to move cattle.

Kevin assisting with checking trail cameras

All three horses have returned to their homes and I just finished storing the last of the electric fencing equipment I used for setting up temporary fencing for them throughout the summer.

When the Range Rider isn’t Range Riding

You’ve been reading my blog posts all summer but now for a little more information about myself. I come from a mixed background- I am both a PhD student and a range rider. I worked for ranches within the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem long before I ever considered pursuing research here. All through my undergraduate career, as soon as exams would finish, I would head to the high country, packing horses, guiding, working cattle or bison until the last split second before I had to return to school for another semester. I conducted research in Ecuador on environmental degradation and health disparities for my undergraduate honors thesis with a particular focus on dengue fever and malaria. I planned on returning to Ecuador to conduct my PhD research until I was asked if I had considered doing research in the place I had guided for so many years: the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

     During my first year of graduate school I was awarded the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP). The NSF GRFP is an award to a future scientist based off of a research proposal and personal statement about how his or her background has prepared them for this path. My NSF GRFP research proposal focused on human-wildlife conflict and that although we think of Yellowstone as such a unique place, agricultural landscapes surrounding national parks and preserves is a human-wildlife conflict hotspot across the globe. In this proposal I noted that some of these agricultural spaces such as the ranchlands in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem provide an ecosystem service by maintaining open space and migration corridors that might otherwise be overtaken by residential development. It is important to recognize the gray space ranches occupy within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. I am not saying that ranches are the most environmentally friendly thing; however, it is the best shot wildlife have at survival, especially in the face of global climatic shifts and increasing residential development within the Greater Yellowstone.

     This is my sign off for the season, one of the two herds I have monitored we are currently bringing in from permit and the other herd will return to the home ranch by September 1st. I am back to graduate school and if you have any questions about my research my email of contact is Sabrina.bradford@colorado.edu

-Sabrina Bradford, Tom Miner Range Rider

Rode Kevin back to his home ranch this morning. We left Tom Miner Basin while the stars were still out and the sunrise hit as we rode along the Yellowstone River- couldn’t have asked for a better final ride.

10 August 2019

On Tuesday, August 6th, I was checking cattle in an upper permit section that is accessible by logging road. At 7800ft, the mornings warm up a little slower than down below in the basin and around 9:40am I came around a corner and ran into a foraging grizzly bear. The bear had been eating mushrooms that were growing on the side of the road and he responded in a way that the majority of bears that I have encountered over the past decade react. He took off running as fast as he could down the logging road. Adolescent bears that are in their first year or two off their sow will sometimes be more curious but even they run. I hope that all that read this blog keep in mind that bears not being habituated to human presence protects both the bears and those of us that are in this country.

This grizzly took off as fast as he could when I rounded the corner and encountered him

What do you see when you’re out range riding?

I start my rides in Tom Miner Basin which is around 5800ft and I ride up to 8000ft when in permit area. There are a few different ecosystems within the areas I ride which include marsh, closed forest, open forest, mountain meadows, riparian areas, lakes, and arid prickly pear cactus country. Lower in the basin I run into elk, white tailed deer, coyotes, bald eagles, sandhill cranes, badgers, gophers, black bears and the occasional ermine. As I ascend to higher country the animals I have seen include elk, coyote, wolf, snowshoe hares, black bears, grizzly bears, chipmunks, ermine, marmots, grouse, and great grey owls.

What do your trail cameras capture?

When I selected places for trail cameras I chose locations that I have commonly seen tracks throughout the grazing permit season that was near water sources and in areas where cattle directly overlapped. My favorite location is a well-used wildlife travel corridor. Due to the topography, the trail is one of the easiest routes of passage through a steep, rocky area so as a result funnels wildlife through it. My trail camera has captured animals I also have seen on the trail such as marmots, coyotes, bears, elk, and cattle but has also captured animals I have not seen such as foxes and skunks.

Fox that was startled by the trail camera

What can the trail camera and observations tell us?

The trail camera’s original position when it what discovered by the curious bear

The trail camera lets us know how many species might be using a certain area and when. It is clear that grizzly bears, black bears, and cattle are all using the same area. In addition, encounters such as stumbling into a great grey owl or running into a grey wolf lend more knowledge about how the ecosystems are being used on different levels. I may see plenty of bear tracks but I know the number of bears I see is lower than the number the tracks I find indicate. The trail camera also lets me know when wildlife may be simply passing through or if it is inhabiting an area. This knowledge is useful for cattle management in grazing allotments on forestry permits.

Several animals have reacted to the trail camera’s presence with curiosity, others oblivious, and the fox was the only animal that reacted with alarm. A bull elk, several cattle cows and two grizzly bears found the trail camera to be interesting and investigated it leaving photos of their noses and ears, mostly foggy photographs from them licking the lens.

The bear had a good time playing with the trail camera and ultimately redirected it to the ground

When bears enter late hyperphagia, if there are cubs around, or if there is a carcass involved bears are more aggressive and that baseline fear of humans is important. Those three examples are the only times I have encountered bears that did not pack their bags and head out of town the second I ran into them. It does not bother me at all to work alone as a range rider because I have what I jokingly refer to as my four-legged coworkers. I have traveled into country that I have no problem going into solo with my horses but would feel highly uncomfortable hiking with only one other person into- horses make quite a lot of noise traveling through country and often detect the presence of larger wildlife long before we as people can. My horse picked up on the presence of the grizzly before he was visible and my horse was far more interested in the blooming thistles than the bear that was running from us as fast as he could.

-Sabrina Bradford, Tom Miner Range Rider

As a result of early hyperphagia, bear activity is increasing within the forestry permit grazing areas

23 July 2019

On Monday, July 15th it was pretty quiet in the permit areas that I monitor. What I refer to sign in these posts is a reference to any sign of wildlife presence which can include feeding areas, tracks, or simply scat. I did not see too much sign from wildlife on the trails when riding that day and what I did see included one set of bear tracks in a small section in the high forest, wolf tracks and scat in another area, and coyote tracks in a dry, sage creek-bed area. When I rode on Thursday July 18th, there was quite a notable shift in bear activity.

This bear’s tracks went from south to north for over 3 miles on a game trail that is also used by cattle

The bears are starting early hyperphagia here and movement has increased as shown in the photographs below. All of these tracks were northbound and not a single aimed south. A benefit of riding this country so often is that it was easy for me to know that all of this activity had occurred within the last couple days so many rocks had been overturned, fallen dead trees ripped open, and sections of the meadow looking tilled from plant roots dug along the route.  

My horse was a bit curious because this dead tree was in one piece the day before.

Grizzly bears have an excellent sense of smell and can smell a carcass from 9 miles away or the presence of insects within a dead tree. A bloodhound dog’s sense of smell is 300 times better than a human’s and a bear’s sense of smell is 7 times better than a bloodhound’s (Stevenson 2007)

Grizzly Bear Claws: Average length 2 inches (5.1cm); Longest 5.6 inches (14.2cm). Claws are used often by grizzly bears for digging food from the ground but are not as efficient as black bear claws for tree climbing (Gunther, Haroldson, van Manen, 2017)

It is pretty easy to see when bears have overturned rocks . Usually the rocks are around this size but there was one large rock that was closer to a boulder in size that I saw that day. The large rock had a bit of a funny story to it with bear track leading to it, the large rock budged about an inch by the bear, and then I guess efforts to overturn the rock were abandoned.

Grizzly bear behavior, habitat and depredation on forestry grazing allotments (Wells, McNew, Tyers, van Manen, & Thompson, 2019):

• Mid- to high-elevation areas with steeper slopes and rugged terrain are the habitat spaces most often used by grizzly bears in the Rocky Mountain region.

• Grizzly bears avoid areas of high human use which includes roads and trails

• Habitat spaces most often selected by grizzly bears include areas of higher forest productivity and low human disturbance

• Although grizzly bears and cattle may be sympatric (in the same habitat space) throughout the grazing season depredations occur primarily in July and August when grizzly bears are in early hyperphagia. The grazing season referenced is the forestry permit allotment time which is generally early June to September or October in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

• Regardless of cone productivity, grizzly bears will choose habitat space with whitebark pine present from the 15 August to 30 of September (Costello et al. 2014). Although this pattern has been observed, there is not a relationship between depredation numbers and cone production.

Human Presence on the Landscape

Human presence on the landscape does impact grizzly bear habitat usage. The human presence on the landscape in the allotments the Tom Miner Range Rider monitors is not limited to a sole range rider. When I rode with a livestock manager for doctoring some cows with hoof rot a week ago, we departed from the Sphinx Creek trail-head to be able to get to the cows that needed doctoring more quickly. The trail-head was quiet that morning but by the time we returned that afternoon we encountered one hiking couple with two dogs on the trail and two other vehicles pulled up to the trail-head as we were loading horses into the trailer. The trail is not one that is frequently used throughout the grazing season but even weekend hikers contribute to the human presence on the landscape.

-Sabrina Bradford, Tom Miner Range Rider

References

Gunther, K. A., Haroldson, M., & van Manen, F. T. (2017). Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Facts. In P.J. White, K. A. Gunther, & F. T. van Manen (Eds.), Yellowstone Grizzly Bears: Ecology and Conservation of an Icon of Wildness (pp. 169-176). Yellowstone Forever.

Wells, S., McNew, L., Tyers, D. B., van Manen, F. T., & Thompson, D. J. (2019). Grizzly Bear Depredation on Grazing Allotments in the Yellowstone Ecosystem:. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 83(3), 556-566.

19 July 2019

First USFS Permit Carcass of 2019

The summer heat arrived slowly this year and it has been raining quite a bit in our part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The grass is high, cattle are in forestry permits, and it’s a busy time to be a range rider. As noted in the last post, the highest number of bear mortalities related to livestock depredation occurs during the bear’s early hyperphagia period which is late July through the end of August. This is a highly efficient ecosystem and it would only take a couple days for a carcass to lose all signs indicating depredation. One of my jobs as the Tom Miner Basin Association (TMBA) range rider is to locate carcasses and notify livestock owners and managers as well as the TMBA. This ecosystem is highly efficient in disposing of remains and if not found early, it is difficult to determine the true cause of death. 

On Monday, July 8th, I was in the high country of the forestry permit on my way to check on a herd that had recently been moved to permit and was in the most remote permit location I monitor. It was early morning and past a salt lick area where the trail narrows quite a bit, two ravens disturbed by my arrival, took flight 50m ahead of me on the cattle trail I was using. It was too distant to see what they were departing from but bird sign is an indicator of carcass presence.  It soon became easy to see a cow carcass in the middle of the trail. After making enough noise to cause a general disturbance in the area, I investigated the carcass itself to take photographs and then surveyed the surrounding scene to make observations that would be helpful for the livestock owners and managers to determine if it required Jim Rost. Jim Rost is a wildlife specialist that works for USDA Wildlife Services and among other things evaluates carcasses for evidence of depredation. Without a confirmation from a federally employed wildlife specialist a rancher would be unable to collect compensation for losses from the Livestock Loss Board of Montana (http://liv.mt.gov/Attached-Agency-Boards/Livestock-Loss-Board).

The cow was incredibly bloated and demonstrated rigor mortis (postmortem rigidity) but there was no stench. The cow’s face was stripped of hide with fresh blood from below the eye to mouth and also under the jaw. An investigation of the scene indicated the cow had been drug to its current location from up the hill. I was able to note this due to obvious drag marks and also a path thick with carrion (blow) flies

Important factors to note for livestock owners/managers: location, cattle tag number, signs of trauma and state of surrounding scene. I used my OnX app to mark the location of the carcass so I could relay the UTM coordinates.

Was it depredation?

From what I was able to survey, I did not believe I was looking at a depredation event. The cow's body indicated it had been dead far longer than the face had been stripped of flesh. My best guess was that this cow died of larkspur poisoning and its presence on the trail was the result of an opportunistic find by a bear. As range rider, I am not able to diagnose the cause of death and only gather enough information to  and as stated by the owner of the cow, “take as many photos as you can of the carcass from different angles, trauma, signs from the scene it has been moved by predators-more is always better.”

What about the carcass?

The carcass was in an awkward place. I was coming from the north heading south and the carcass lay where the east side was a downward sloping forested area towards a cliff area that was thick with secondary growth, obscuring visibility. On the west side of the trail it was an incredibly steep slope with soft ground and deadfall. The cow’s presence in the middle of the trail was awkward because of there not being a safe way around the carcass on either side. To reach the most distant cattle, I head to permit right before dawn which would place me riding through the carcass zone when bears would most likely be feeding on the carcass. Others that knew the permit area better than I recommended possible paths that would still put me fairly close to the carcass and as a result, several days passed before I was able to ride through that trail.

In years with good vegetation levels cattle often do not eat pre-flowering tall larkspur which is when it is most toxic. In years like 2019 with plenty of grass, consumption hits a high during the late flower or pod stage. Although tall larkspur is less toxic at this point, consumption is higher resulting in the same high levels of toxic alkaloids in the cow’s system. The the amount consumed for death varies from year to year and more information about this phenomena will be in the next post).

On Friday of that same week, the livestock manager of the herd that owned the dead cow asked if I wanted to join to check on the status of the carcass. We rode to the carcass at the hottest part of the day when bears were more likely to be bedded down. Strangely enough, even though the cow had been moved about 75m east of the trail by predators, the cow was not completely consumed. The brisket and udders are two areas that bears tend to consume first yet were present that day. The gut and hindquarters of the cow had been fed on which suggests wolf and/or coyote (Clucas, 2005). Of course, there may have been a bear feeding during this time but without a trail camera on the carcass, it is difficult to determine how many species fed on this cow.  

Notes on finding:

When I was evaluating the carcass on July 8th, a pair (cow/calf), bull and an extra calf showed up to the carcass site. The extra calf without a cow had matching eartags to the dead cow and I was able to move all four to the nearest herd after I finished with the scene.

It was determined that the cause of death of the cow was larkspur. I will soon post more information about native plants that may poison cattle such as larkspur in addition to details on noxious invasive plants on forestry allotments.

-Sabrina Bradford, Tom Miner Range Rider

 References

Clucas, J.L. (2005) A Field Guide To Predatory Animal Damage Identification. Hawk Haven Media.

26 June 2019

The elk calves that were present a month ago have all but disappeared from the lower basin. It is difficult to know whether the calves were killed or the cow elk-calf pairs moved to a different location. There are still herds of cow elk that range in size from 10 to over 25 in the lower basin, just no calves. 

Wildlife throughout the basin has been more evident as summer arrives and riding the USFS grazing permit area before the cattle arrived allowed me to observe animal sign before cattle made trails more difficult to read tracks. 

Trails used by cattle are also used by wildlife

Tracking

One of the best tools I have for recording the location of tracks is a program used my many hunters called OnX. OnX is an affordable and fantastic smartphone app that transforms a smartphone into a functional tool for range riding work. OnX is the top GPS hunting app and for good reason. This tool provides information for 121 million private properties, 985 million acres of public land, 421 map overlays and over 400,000 miles of trails. These layers allow one to identify not just private property lines but also different forestry sections on a topographical, satellite, or combination hybrid map.  OnX allows maps to be saved so that cellular service is not necessary to use the program.

OnX can track the location of the app user and you can mark locations and setup way points. For example, I came across this black bear print: 

I then used OnX to mark the location so that I can start to understand the basic patterns of where sign of bears and wolves are commonly found. As a result, I was able to see that wolves leave tracks to and from the stock tank from both directions while a small black bear only accessed it from one direction. Here is an example of plotting a point for a bear track using OnX:

Using tools such as OnX to record wildlife movement can help us to have a better idea which areas are in-use habitat spaces for grizzlies and wolves. Since these in-use areas will shift due to the spatiotemporal availability of food resources, this information will be useful for informing land and livestock managers that wish to avoid high amounts of livestock-predator cross habitat spillover. 

-Sabrina Bradford, Tom Miner Range Rider

It is clear that bear and wolf used these trails before cattle were moved to permit. Cattle also use these trails to access water and pocket meadows.

12 June 2019

Continuing Education & Branding 

During the first week of June in addition to livestock monitoring, I attended a soil science workshop by Nicole Masters and a small, speaking event called “The Future West”. It is important to recognize that the scalar difference between these two events aides in representing the scope and scale of what may be tackled when devising ranch management strategies that result in what I refer to as “resilient ranchlands.” The soil science workshop occurred at Barney Creek Livestock which is just south of Livingston. Nicole talked about the ability of ranchlands to have an active role in carbon sequestration, the use of soil science to tackle cheatgrass and erosion, and the ability of ranches to have more successful grazing pastures as a result of a fungi/bacteria balance in the soil. The Future West conference, by contrast, focused on sustaining larger ecosystems in the west and included speakers that have observed and tackled human-wildlife interactions from a variety of perspectives including the mayor of Canmore (Canada), an ethnographer from the Nez Perce nation, a scientist from Yellowstone to Yukon, and a rancher from the Blackfoot Challenge. 

Livestock

At the end of this upcoming week cattle will be moved to forestry permits from the lower pastures. Last week was a combination of warm summer days…and the return of winter one morning with 6 inches of snow on the ground. Elk calves are now in the same meadows as the cattle, herds with direct habitat overlap space are more closely observed due to elk calves serving as one of the primary food items during springtime. Earlier this spring, I wrote a research paper on bear mortalities within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem using records from the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST). I believe that one function range riders may serve is working with what we know about behavioral ecology of nutrition, diet and food acquisition habits of species such as grizzly bears to reduce depredation events.

Grizzly bears have a high spatiotemporal variation of diet. The grizzly bear’s “seasons” can be defined by the availability, or concentration, of specific food sources. In a study conducted by Gunther, et al. (2004), the grizzly bear’s seasons were characterized by the following diet and behavioral attributes:

Gunther, et al. (2004)

I believe this information is important because over 80% of the grizzly bear mortalities within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem over the last ten years have occurred related to human-wildlife conflict. Though bear mortality numbers were not as high as elk hunting season related and anthropogenic food/residential access, livestock depredation events did contribute to management removal decisions. The below graph is a result of some of the work I have done and contrary to the two highest contributors to bear mortality, livestock depredation related bear mortalities were not highest during late hyperphagia. Since I am able to view these data results through the perspective of not only a scientist but also as someone that has spent many years working for ranches throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, the temporal pattern of bear mortalities related to livestock depredation were not surprising. In the springtime, cattle calves and elk calves have spatial overlap at times and during early hyperphagia, cattle are often in higher elevation pastures, chasing the green wave and the furthest out they may graze from the home ranch before gather occurs for fall works.

Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team’s records of bear mortalities within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem showed this pattern when I sorted the depredation-related mortality records by bear season.

While range riders survey for evidence of livestock depredation from bears or wolves, monitoring a herd’s overall health is equally important. Factors such as a thinly spread herd across a large area of landscape, a calves weak from scours or cows battling hoof rot all influence the vulnerability of a herd to depredation events. I recognize that some supporters of range riding efforts may have never attended a branding and may not know what occurs at one besides the branding itself but it is also a time for vaccinations and doctoring problems such as abscesses, new scours that may have appeared since the last check on the herd. Have any range-riding related questions? Feel free to send them in at TomMinerRangeRider@gmail.com.

-Sabrina Bradford, Tom Miner Range Rider

Getting ready to gather pairs before branding (Photographer: Hilary Zaranek-Anderson)



15-24 May 2019

The running joke about Montana weather is “if you don’t like it…wait 15 minutes.” As the 2019 range rider season for the Tom Miner Basin starts there have been plenty of windy, snowy and wet days with the occasional ray of sunshine breaking through. Work has varied between community, cattle and horses.

I have met with livestock managers and landowners within Tom Miner Basin which allows them to put a face with the 2019 range rider. The meeting also allows those using a range rider to express their needs, concerns, and past observations of the relationship between livestock depredation and the land. In addition to these meetings, the community has also been engaged during my work this past week. A group of college students came to the Anderson Ranch on May 16 to learn more about range riding and range stewards. These students were able to ask Malou questions about the program and also asked me about my path to range riding. The afternoon of May 16, fladry was taken down and a team of four others assisted me with collecting the fiberglass poles, rolling up fladry, and storing the fladry appropriately. The three volunteers were from a variety of backgrounds including a Masters student from the Netherlands, a couple from Portland, Oregon that have spent many years hiking the Yellowstone backcountry, and a family member that has chosen to spend the summer working for the Anderson Ranch. One of the fladry rolls belonged to the NRDC and I was able to meet involved NRDC representatives when returning the roll to their office in Bozeman. Lastly, we posted “No Smoking” signs along private property boundaries of Tom Miner Road in hopes of discouraging bear-watching tourists from lighting up in areas that are a high fire risk. These signs are especially important because the areas that these tourists park are especially vulnerable to fire in August and September which is also when road tourist visitation is at its highest.

I checked the cow-calf pairs out to pasture multiple times over the past week as the weather provided coverage for predators. In addition to grouping the herd closer together the health status of the cows and calves was checked and the livestock manager contacted when sick animals were observed.

An important portion of checking cow-calf pairs is having good cow horses. Work has been done every day in order to prepare the horses physically and mentally for early mornings and long days. There is nothing like working horses in cold, wet, and windy weather to break them out of their winter vacations.

-Sabrina Bradford, Tom Miner Range Rider

Roundpen work