Huckleberry Lookout Trail

Trail Runner Suffers Minor Injuries After Colliding with Grizzly Bear in Glacier National Park

Chance encounters with bears are a constant danger in the mountain West. The Rhodesian ecologist and range management expert Allan Savory offered this advice on shooing away bears:   “Re the bears. I have not had to deal with them other than while fishing in Alaska and found them much like

"Invasion Biology"

National Parks are Being Overrun By Invasive Species

As this article points out, people introduce the vast majority of so-called invasive species worldwide.   What the article doesn’t mention is that we humans are the world’s most destructive invaders. Or, that of the hundreds of thousands of so-called invasive species that have been introduced, virtually none have

Biodiversity

Hunting Is Conservation: A Paradox Explained

Quoting the authors of the article below, ” Non-hunters are often surprised to learn that it was hunters who spearheaded the conservation efforts that rescued our nation’s wildlife from the cusp of extinction. The truth is: hunting and conservation have had a symbiotic relationship since the close of the 19th

Bio-Diversity

Allan Savory on Permaculture and Holistic Management

Here is a very interesting interview with the ecologist Allan Savory who, in the opinion of many, knows more about rangelands than anyone alive. He is best known for his discovery that global desertification can best be addressed and reversed by using livestock to mimic the grazing patterns of the

COVID-19

National Parks Are Getting Trashed During COVID-19, Endangering Surrounding Communities

For many decades our national parks and forests have suffered as Congress has diverted federal lands’ mineral royalties, which are supposed to support public lands. As a result, infrastructure maintenance including upkeep of trails, roads and facilities increasingly is deferred.   As described in the article below, public use has surged

fast growing

Why Women Are the Fastest Growing Segment of the Hunting Population

Quoting the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in the article below the authors write that, “Of 143 drugs and pesticides likely to be found in raw [domestic] meat and poultry, 42 were known to cause cancer or are suspected of causing cancer.”   Healthier food is only one reason for

Beavers

Beavers Rule the Roost at Crater Lake

Whether we are talking about bears, bison or beavers, the best safety rule with wild animals is this: “Do not invade their space.” It is amazing how often the rule is violated.     NOTE: this article was originally published to jhnewsandguide.com on July 15, 2020. It was written by Doreen

"Wolves"

25 Years After Returning to Yellowstone, Wolves Have Helped Stabilize The Ecosystem

As discussed in the article below, “by reducing elk numbers and thinning out weak and sick animals, wolves are helping create more resilient elk herds.”   This is true, but another likely reason for falling elk numbers is brucellosis, an infection known as “contagious abortion” that affects ruminant animals including cervids

Alaska

Beavers Are Accelerating Climate Change in Alaska?

According to the article below, which repeats claims of CNN, beavers change climate. This is not correct.   Global climate has been warming for at least 15,000 years. Because climate has warmed, the habitable area of North America has vastly expanded. Before this warming, the Laurentide Ice Sheet was almost

Who Liked Hurricane Sandy? These Tiny, Endangered Birds

As discussed below, barrier islands are very subject to storm “damage”, which change habitats from one year to the next. The species that inhabit them are adapted to these changes, and decline without them.   NOTE: this article was originally published to The New York Times on June 21, 2019. It

Bio-Diversity

Pitchstone Waters' "Chiveros"

This video is about Pitchstone Waters’ “Chiveros” – Spanish for goat herders. This team of Peruvian goat herders and their dogs have raised herding to an art.   Pitchstone Waters “Chiveros” from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

Bison Management Plan

Park Service, Forest Service Agree to Supplement Bison Management Plan

Imagine if bison were added to deer, elk, moose and pronghorn as migratory animals coming and going from Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, and the millions of acres of public land surrounding them.   As discussed in the article below, brucellosis, an infection known as “contagious abortion” that affects ruminant

Antlers

Culling of Bucks Doesn’t Lead To Bigger Bucks, Research Says

Western wildlife agency elk and deer managers should read this article.   For 40 years, culling, the removal of “inferior” bucks from deer herds, has been a bedrock principle and practice in Texas deer “management.” As it turns out, culling harms deer herds and lessens their capacity to produce big, trophy-class

Bio-Diversity

Wolf Species Rebounds in Southwest, Angering Ranchers

The success of the Mexican gray wolf reintroductions is great news. Limited wolf hunting would change wolf behavior,  making wolves less of a nuisance, according to ranchers quoted in the article below. Wolf advocates should get onboard with this.   NOTE: this article was originally published to WSJ.com on April

bear identification

How to Tell Black Bears from Grizzly Bears

“Is this bear photographed at Pitchstone Waters a black bear or a grizzly bear? Read below and then say which.” NOTE: this article was originally published to BearSmart.com Despite apparent differences in size and colour, grizzly vs black bear are often difficult to tell apart. Why is this important?

black bears

Bear and Wolf on Fall River in Idaho

We left this camera up all winter.  So we have photos from October through June. We asked the experts… * What kind of bear? * Is this a wolf or a big coyote? Their response is below.

2020

Happy July 4, 2020 from Pitchstone Waters Ranch

July 4, 2020 at Pitchstone Waters Ranch in Idaho. July 4th Fishing Picnic at Pitchstone Waters from Christopher Gill on Vimeo.

habitat restoration

Jim Howell, Part II – Restoring Ecological Capital Through Grazing

A business and investment model based on sustainable grazing of open ranges in the mountain West.   NOTE: this article and podcast is owned by MountainandPrarie.com, and we’ve reposted it to this site. We have been associated with Mr. Howell for around 20 years, and are aligned to his

Bio-Diversity

Book Review: Cat Tale: The Wild, Weird Battle to Save the Florida Panther

“Quoting a reader: This is the latest of several books by an author whose focus is on nature (primarily Florida’s) and attempts to protect it, with special emphasis on what happens when a bureaucracy becomes involved.   NOTE: this article was originally published to WSJ.com on February 7, 2020.

grasslands

Facts About Leafy Spurge

As discussed below, leafy spurge uses explosive seed release, and wind,  to throw seeds up to 15 feet. In addition to spreading by seed, its root systems increase by several feet each year, and the roots put up shoots. Chemicals are ineffective in controlling this plant, and cattle cannot eat

Bio-Diversity

A Quiet Plague Outbreak has been Killing Yellowstone’s Cougars for Years

Our public lands, parks, forests, and the wild animals that live in them seem increasingly unhealthy and disease prone. However, the cougar disease discussed in the National Geographic article below is a symptom of a larger problem.   About 70-years ago, Dr. William Albrecht, who has since been dubbed “The Father

fatalities

Grizzly Bear Death Rates Are Climbing

“The real problem described in the article below is that grizzly bears do not fear humans. Limited hunting would change that, greatly reducing bear mortality from human causes by making bears wary of people.   NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on February 10, 2020. It was written

Bio-Diversity

Shy Elk and Bold Birds Become Partners in the Wilderness

“Interdependance (“mutualism”) is common in nature. Even species that are thought to be “competitive”  usually turn out to be complimentary when their relationship is fully understood.   NOTE: this article was originally published to NYTimes.com on November 29, 2017. It was written by Joanna Klein.     Chances are that’s a

E.U. Farm Program

Radical Changes Urged for Huge E.U. Farm Program

According to the article below, “The European farm subsidies program accounts for nearly 40 percent of Europe’s budget, making it one of the biggest in the world. It is riddled with corruption and self-dealing, especially in eastern and Central Europe, where leaders have diverted money to underwrite their governments

Oh Give Me a Home Where The Bison Roam

The grazing methodology described in the article below keeps animals – in this case bison – bunched, limits grazing in any particular area to a few days, and allows for complete plant recovery before regrazing.   NOTE: this article was originally published to TheFencePost.comTheFencePost.com on April 5, 2020. It was written