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.

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.

-Ellery Vincent,

2023 Range Rider