Seeing wildlife in the backcountry is one of the exciting opportunities available in our area. A number of animals which are found in few other places call Northern Idaho and Northwestern Montana home. The Grizzly Bear is one of those; with a small population and a reclusive nature, a Grizzly sighting is a rare treat!
But even rarely seen animals will leave signs of their passage which provide valuable information and allow a more intimate understanding of the forest’s life. Wildlife Sign is everywhere if you take the time to look, and current technology allows us to look even further into what these signs can tell.
A new long term research project is in the early stages in and around the Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Recovery Zone. The first part of the project is to look for bear rubs on roads and trails in order to set up hair sampling stations. The project will use DNA from these samples to estimate the population of grizzly bears within the study area.
You can volunteer to help the study’s technicians find rubs and set up sampling stations in the Scotchman Peaks area or anywhere else within the study area. This will involve hiking trails and roads with an eye for bear sign, particularly rubs, and assisting with data collection.
Dates when volunteers are needed:
Sept 4 -8
Sept 14 – 22
Sept 28 – Oct 6.
If you are interested in volunteering, please call Kristina Boyd at (406) 890-4353 for details.
I would be able to help out on some of the dates. I could help more if you are permitted to bow hunt while looking for sign.
The coordinator, Kristina can help with that question – I’d imagine that if you see anything while out bow hunting, they’d love to have the info!
I would love to volunteer for this project. I am a college professor in Tulsa, Oklahoma and will be in Montana in September 2013. I left a message on Kristina’s voice mail today.
Bill Goswick
Bill, the grizzly bear project is a great one! Hope they can find a way to use you as a volunteer. We (Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness) will have a number of hikes and trail maintenance projects in Sept 2013. If you get our newsletter and alerts, you will get details as we get closer. You can sign up online using the “subscribe” button on our website, it’s free and secure. Email me at phil@scotchmanpeaks.org if you would like more info. Cheers!