And that, dear readers, is a very good thing. For the first time in several years, mountain snowpack is at or even somewhat exceeding historic averages, and much of the state has been receiving notable amounts of precipitation in recent weeks. It appears, for the moment at least, that we just might not suffer drought conditions again this summer. The folks at the Climate Prediction Center aren’t just sticking their neck out too far in that regard, but at least they’re more optimistic than last fall, when they were of the opinion that another dry summer was all but assured. As is typical when we get a wet spring following a dry year or three, plant growth so far is tremendous. It’s like the native species know they need to make up for lost time, and I expect seed production will be phenomenal this year. That has immense benefits for creatures great and small, and the wild critters I see around here are flourishing.

Big game populations are at historic highs, which is corroborated on a local level by the high numbers of deer and elk I’m seeing on a daily basis around our place. We’ve even had pheasants hanging around the yard, which is somewhat unusual. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks is responding by liberalizing bag limits for many species. Mule deer numbers are greatly improved from a few years back, and doe tags are being issued on an unlimited, over-the-counter basis for areas of eastern Montana. Plus, in some areas you can apply for a second doe tag. I believe we personally will take advantage of that situation. The grain-fed deer my son shot last fall in southeast MT was the most tender and flavorful meat we’ve had in some time. Elk is our staple protein source around here, but I’ve never had what I would consider to be tender elk, and ours go mostly into burger. Those deer steaks, though…. Man! They were just exquisitely good, and I believe we’ll do our part to keep their population in check and provide gourmet table fare in the process.

As prey species flourish, so do predators, although reportedly mountain lion numbers are down somewhat from the record levels of a few years back. One large predator that’s in the news regularly is wolves, and on that note I attended a public hearing a few nights back on Montana’s proposed wolf management plan. As of last fall, there were 16 breeding pairs in the state, and 182 total wolves. Skeptics believe there are significantly more than that, and biologists agree there are undoubtedly a few lone wolves wandering about that they missed. I had a conversation a while back with the Government Trapper for Madison and Jefferson Counties, Chad Hoover, and was impressed with his knowledge of the situation. It is not an exaggeration to say that he knows every wolf in those counties by name. I was more impressed by his balanced take on the situation. He also runs an outfitting operation in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. Elk hunting success rates are down in that area, which many blame on wolves. They are a factor certainly, but by no means the only one. Due to multiple mild winters, more elk are staying in Yellowstone year round, and some of the other outfitters who ride up & down the Park boundary every day aren’t really doing themselves or their clients any favors in that regard. Chad says if he has fresh snow, he can get on the track of an elk and there will be a bull at the end of it. Whether or not the client can keep up could be another matter, but…. Interestingly, he says what affects elk distribution patterns more adversely than wolves is that some summers a band of domestic sheep is pastured in the A-B. What kind of lunacy is that; running domestic sheep in the middle of some of the highest large predator populations around? Clearly, that needs to end, but again demonstrating his balanced take on the situation, Chad noted that the ranchers involved have been grazing that area for a hundred years, and deserve some consideration. To that end, the wildlife group I’m in (the Gallatin Wildlife Association) is promoting the Public Lands Grazing Buyout as a win-win situation for all parties.

At any rate, if you’d like to go on an elk hunt in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness with not only a superb outfitter, but someone who has a balanced grasp on the many different aspects of the changing wildlife paradigm we’re in, we know just who to book you with!

And, on that note, the non-resident license drawings have taken place. If you came up short, (or even if you didn’t apply at all), it’s noteworthy that there are some 700 surplus outfitter-sponsored licenses available. Last year there were only a handful of those surplus licenses, and we did book some folks utilizing them. We still have openings with some superb outfitters for this coming fall, so if that’s something you might be interested in call or e-mail. The price of those guaranteed licenses is to be adjusted yearly according to demand, so it’ll be interesting to see what the price is set at for ’04.

Back on this wolf thing, though….the meeting I attended was to allow public comment on the proposed management plan. Five alternatives have been put forth, ranging from doing nothing and leaving wolf management responsibility with the Federal Government, to implementing an aggressive strategy of control when breeding pairs number more than ten. The preferred alternative sets the threshold at fifteen breeding pairs. That seems reasonable to me, as we’re already slightly over that number. Some folks would undoubtedly rather see the trigger point at the lower number, but that carries a risk. If wolf numbers drop below that ten breeding pairs figure, control reverts back to the Feds. I personally have more faith in Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to manage the situation to resident’s satisfaction. Some residents wish wolves weren’t here at all, but those days are gone. What makes sense to me is getting control of them turned over to the state as rapidly as possible, so their numbers can be managed. For that to happen; Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming need to come up with management plans the Feds will sign off on. Idaho and Montana are well along with that process, but so far Wyoming seems to be holding to the viewpoint that wolves should be shot on sight. That just ain’t gonna fly, and I hope cooler heads will prevail in the Cowboy State.

While I have yet to personally see a wolf, we’ve heard them howling at night and come across their tracks in some of our preferred haunts along the west slope of the Madison Range. Chad tells me there are three wolves in that area, with around a dozen across the valley in the Gravellies. I certainly haven’t noticed elk numbers in the Madison Valley crashing, in fact there are the usual immense herds wintering out in the valley. They may stay bunched up a bit more than in pre-wolf days, but elk evolved as herd animals, so…. Anyway, those big herds are comprised of cows, calves, & younger bulls. The big boys winter up on those higher wind-swept ridges, and I believe that’s where we’ll go tomorrow.  Several of the State Wildlife Management Areas open on May 1, and I believe I’ll shoulder the backpack for an overnighter then. If I come across the mother lode of shed antlers, great, but either way it'll be fun.