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.

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.

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.

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.

Ellery Vincent

2023 Range Rider