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Grizzly Bears in Montana Grizzly Bears in Montana Postcard #2 Postcard #3 Spring Workshop Crown of the Continent book |
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Grizzly Bear Homepage:
Searching for Grizzlies »
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Day 3: On the Trail of the Montana Grizzly Bear
Monday, May 16, 2005: Pine Butte Swamp Preserve, Montana
It’s 8:00pm and we’re all tired after an 11-hour grizzly search.
The day started at 5:30am when eight of us, armed with coffee and binoculars, climbed into the van and drove toward Pine Butte Swamp Preserve. We were going to check all the spots where Chuck and Eric had previously seen grizzly bears. Chuck, our brave and fearless workshop leader, has been observing grizzly bears in this area of the Rocky Mountain Front for more than 40 years.
He told us to watch for the green spots on the surrounding hillsides. During spring, grizzlies graze on fresh grass, clover and forbs, which are all higher in vitamin content, protein and calories than at other times during the year.
Towards the end of our morning drive, we heard a “blaaaating” sound by the road. A tiny antelope, no more than a few hours old and darker than adult pronghorn, was struggling to stand. It made a few hops away and its worried mother came over the ridge. We left them to re-unite.
Later that morning, we set out again on foot to hike through another part of Pine Butte Swamp Preserve where there is a buffalo jump. This was where Blackfeet Indians drove bison off a cliff to their deaths. Below, at the foot of the cliff, the Blackfeet women would wait to skin the hides and butcher the meat. Exploring the area, we found tipi rings.
This day, cool and overcast, revealed a profusion of wildflowers. Most outstanding were the clumps of blue Alpine Forget-Me-Nots, which Chuck pronounced the “prettiest things in the world.” We also ooooohed and ahhhhed at the purple Pasque flowers, larkspur, Rabbits foot loco weed and shooting stars.
Our day was full of discovery. We saw not only lots of grizzly claw marks and other sign, but many bird species: long-billed curlews, kestrels, sandhill cranes, vesper sparrows, blue-winged and cinnamon teals and godwits. We had also seen deer and antelope and had heard chorus frogs from the swamp.
Unfortunately, we hadn’t seen a grizzly bear. But we heard some fantastic grizzly news: bear biologists had trapped five grizzlies in the preserve over the previous few days in order to fit them with geographic positioning system (GPS) collars. These collars use satellite technology to track the grizzlies, which helps biologists learn more about where and how the bears spend their time.
Also, Mark Korte, the Pine Butte Swamp Preserve’s land steward, witnessed a romantic encounter between a grizzly male and female — mating that lasted for 30 solid minutes.
Talk about bliss! Perhaps this is a metaphor for a healthy, happy grizzly population here at Pine Butte.
This region of the Rocky Mountain Front is one of the only places in the lower 48 where grizzlies live out on the plains. That’s why The Nature Conservancy began investing resources in this area more than 30 years ago, in part because of Chuck Jonkel’s discovery of a grizzly den on a nearby ranch.
Now the bear population is growing at Pine Butte and its surroundings. That's because The Nature Conservancy and area landowners have worked together to protect nearly 47,000 acres of low-elevation grizzly bear habitat, which includes a large maze of fresh-water fens, or swamps.
It’s also due to Nature Conservancy management. A travel plan instituted 15 years ago limits public and even staff access in certain areas at certain times of the year so that grizzlies get used to having free reign in these areas.
Pine Butte Swamp Preserve, according to many expert observers, is becoming the epicenter of prairie grizzly habitat.
Grizzly Bear Homepage: Searching for Grizzly Bears »
For More Information:
- The Nature Conservancy of Montana
Since 1979, The Nature Conservancy, working with local landowners and communities, has conserved nearly 500,000 acres of critical ranchland and wildlife habitat in Montana. - Events: Spring 2006 and Fall 2006 Grizzly Bear Workshop
Learn about the magnificent grizzly from a man who has been studying them for more than 40 years. Biologist Chuck Jonkel will lead you on daily hikes on the Front, particularly in the Pine Butte Swamp Preserve, which has many features attractive to the bears. - Book: Crown of the Continent
(preface by Chuck Jonkel)
For 30 years, naturalist Ralph Waldt dedicated himself to exploring the 10-million-acre Crown of the Continent region. Now he has put his observations of the natural world into his first book. - Places We Protect: The Rocky Mountain Front
The Rocky Mountain Front is a convergence of mountains and prairies where the wild grizzly bear still ventures out onto the plains. - Places We Protect: Pine Butte Swamp Preserve
The Nature Conservancy continues an ambitious project to protect Montana's Pine Butte Swamp: the largest wetland complex along the Rocky Mountain Front and the grizzly bear's last stronghold on the plains. - How You Can Help: Donate Online
You can help save grizzly bear habitat and the last great places in Montana. Donate now!
