Crown Continentof the and the Greater Yellowstone MAGAZINE Winter/Spring 2018 1 TABLE OF CONTENTS 6 Questions, Answers, Solution 13 Montana is Beckoning Me Mia McPherson Photographs 21 Book Review/Recommendation “Yellowstone Migrations” 22 The Swan Range Crown 30 68 Miles of Separation of the Continent 35 The Water Warriors and the 42 The CCC in the Greater Greater Yellowstone Yellowstone 48 Greater Yellowstone’s Coming Plague 58 Field Notes Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this e-Magazine are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Montana. No part of Seth Bodnar, President this e-Magazine may be reproduced in whole or in Scott Whittenburg, Vice-President for Research and Creative Scholarship Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone Initiative part without written permission of the publisher. Jerry Fetz, Initiative Co-Director, Professor and Dean Emeritus, College of Humanities and Sciences c/o Department of Geography University of Montana Rick Graetz, Initiative Co-Director, Geography Department Professor The Crown of the Continent and Greater 32 Campus Drive Susie Graetz, Managing Editor Yellowstone e-Magazine is now being produced and Missoula, MT 59812 distributed in association with the O’Connor Center Neal Wiegert, Designer, UM Printing and Graphics for the Rocky Mountain West. The Center is a cross- Will Klaczynski, Technical Advisor Email: [email protected] disciplinary regional studies and public education program at the University of Montana in Missoula. Web site: crown-yellowstone.umt.edu Front cover: The beginnings of winter, the Garden Wall, Glacier National Park. John Lambing Above: Henry Lilly braves the beautiful, but icy waters of Glacier2 National Park’s Bowman Lake. Ed Lilly 3 SECTION ONE CC GY Wildlife study field course. INITIATIVE Glacial erratic boulder YNP. CCCROWN OF THE CONTINENT Our mission is to inform the public about what is happening in the Crown of the Continent and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems. Photos by Todd Goodrich, Will Klaczynski, Rick and Susie Graetz Flathead Lake Biological Station. We do this through our publications, with presentations in communities, and by holding classes on campus and off. The Great White Bird Migration, Freezeout Lake and the Rocky Mountain Front. Rick and Susie Graetz 4 5 A fight breaks out in the Logan Pass parking lot over popcorn left by a tourist. Christine Haines Questions, Answers, Solution by Susie Graetz 6 7 In each instance, the experiment was the same as In 2013, Glacier National Park natural bighorn sheep became the addicts. A luscious explained in Sarmento’s graduate thesis, resources program manager Mark Biel, along with free buffet of antifreeze dripped from parked cars, University of Montana wildlife conservation professor Joel popcorn spilled on the ground, a forgotten sandwich, We approached sites quietly through Berger, and then UM master’s student Wesley Sarmento chips tossed away, and sweat and urine were all tough the forest so goats would not (now a bear management specialist with Montana for the animals to ignore. perceive our presence. Additionally, Fish, Wildlife and Parks) studied the behavior mainly Human urine is rich in salt, nitrogen, potassium, and experiments were presented of mountain goats, but also of bighorn sheep at Logan phosphorus and our sweat contains zinc, magnesium, downwind of subjects to prevent Pass. Our 2014 Issue I of CC/GY magazine contained an calcium, sodium, and potassium. Goats need salt and olfactory detection. Treatments article about their study titled QUESTIONS… BUT NO minerals to aid bone and horn growth and digestion, and were conducted broadside to prevent ANSWERS YET Studying Icons In A Perilous Land – will go to great lengths to get it. The plants they graze an over-threatening direct approach. Glacier’s Goats. on don’t contain enough of the minerals their bodies Experiments were not conducted require, this pertains particularly to females with nursing between a subject and escape terrain. Questions kids. Like groupies following their favorite rock band, the The results showed a significant change in the Logan 1. What differences, if any, were there LPG gave up their old ways to hang out near their idols. Pass Gang’s behavior. between backcountry goats and those 1. Human (low risk): used to human interaction? 3. In 2015, a raging wild fire near East Glacier closed A. Backcountry – ran away an average of 330 feet Logan Pass. No more cars in the parking lot, no 2. What attracted the animals to the B. Logan Pass – continued what they were doing, Logan Pass area? tourists making noise and milling around, no rangers but observant around to haze bears away, but the GPS data and 3. What kept them in the area? 2. Ungulate (low Risk): remote cameras continued their work. The cameras A. Backcountry – ignored 4. Is the close proximity to people harmful disclosed that the grizzlies came out in force, the B. Logan Pass – ignored to the well-being of the wildlife? collars reported the goats and sheep deserted the 3. Bear (potential danger): plentiful salt source and fled to the safety of the A. Backcountry – ran an average of 660 feet precipitous high country. As soon as the road to the B. Logan Pass – ran an average of 225 feet Pass reopened, the visitors returned and so did the Answers runaways. Conclusion: safety first (from their natural Anther behavior deviant found was, following 1. To monitor movements and patterns, twenty-four predators), salt second… was what kept the animals at tradition and leaving the security of the remote and goats were collared with GPS and VHF radio collars Logan Pass. jagged rocky cliffs, backcountry goats travel miles across that record their location every two hours, and several 4.Whether near Logan Pass or bushwhacking the cliffs, the landscape to natural salt licks and springs. This bighorn sheep were marked with temporary paint. snowfields, forests, and mountain valleys, Wesley hazardous endeavor leaves the trekkers vulnerable to Additional tools were physical observation and the Sarmento spent more than 2,000 hours on the ground predators. Ignoring these long-taught habits, the LPGs use of remote cameras. Surveillance studies showed it patiently and deliberately documenting the way both forego the perilous trip in preference to the safety from was evident that the backcountry goats, which rarely backcountry and habituated goats and sheep reacted predators the crowds provide. had contact with humans, maintained a natural and to three intruders with varying levels of risk… human, A dangerous component to this adulterated behavior constant awareness to their surroundings, used rock “ungulate,” and “bear.” is: while it is a Park rule that visitors are to get no walls and cliffs as protection, and continued their closer than 25 yards to goats and deer and sheep, the traditional migrations to the Park’s various mineral The “ungulate” in 2014 wore a Styrofoam bighorn habituated critters do not respect Park rules and wander salt licks. On the other hand, for the most part, the sheep head and all beige clothing, in 2015, a cardboard where they wish often coming in close contact with Logan Pass Gang (LPG) preferred the easy living the cut out of a deer with was used. In 2014 and 2015, humans. Since they seem tame and harmless, folks have crowds of up to more than several thousand folks in a the “grizzly” wore a bear mask and a long dark brown been known to pet and hand feed them, and take selfies day afforded them. This was a troubling finding. covering and acted like a bear doing what bears do. with them. These are wild animals and have been known 2. Salt, snacks, and sweet tasting liquids were the Ignoring the goats, the imposter moseyed around to injure and in one instance kill a tourist in Olympic attractant, tourists were the suppliers, goats and looking for anthills and overturning rocks. National Park. Bighorn sheep have the ability to leap up seemingly sheer cliffs. Dean Hellinger 8 9 In his thesis, Sarmento states, Habituated goats reduced group size, vigilance, and use of cliffs. Such patterns were quickly reversible when human presence was excluded. Our findings hold conservation relevance at three levels. First, human visitation to protected areas is altering species interactions and causing – in this case – the loss of seasonal goat migrations for minerals. Second, habituated animals, including goats, have killed and injured visitors. Third, while protected areas offer baselines for both scientists and visitors, redistribution of species and Gracie keeps an eye on a herd of bighorn sheep. associated ecological changes means A.W. Biel precaution will be needed in what we perceive as pristine and what is anthropogenically altered. Thou shalt not pass. NPS/Tim Raines Solution Meet Gracie… a cute, furry, uniform-wearing pooch you want to get right down and pet. To her handler, Mark return as soon as the ranger’s back was turned. Now, Biel, she’s a highly trained working dog; to the goats and the animals stay farther away and for nearly a couple of sheep, she resembles a predator with sharp teeth and a hours. predisposition to biting. On duty and wearing her official uniform, Gracie Schooled at the renowned Wind River Bear Institute elicits questions from curious folks and this gives Biel in Florence, Montana, she is trained to teach the wild the opening he needs to explain what the barkranger’s animals boundaries. Gracie will never chase or make job is. While the public believes Mark and Gracie are physical contact with any Park wildlife, only shepherd training the wildlife to keep a distance, it’s really the them a safe distance away from tourists and parking lots. visitors they are educating and training to respect the Once she has created a reasonable expanse, she will be wildlife and the land.