Since 1995 the Intermountain Journal of Sciences (IJS) has offered a regional peer-reviewed outlet for scientists, educators, and students to submit original research, management applications, or viewpoints concerning the sciences. Original manuscripts are welcome dealing with Biological Sciences (Botany, Aquatic & Terrestrial), Environmental Sciences & Engineering, Health & Human Development, Humanities & Social Sciences, Mathematics, Statistics & Computer Science, Molecular Cellular Biology & Neurosciences, Pharmacology & Toxicology and Physical Sciences. IJS is co-sponsored by The Montana Academy of Sciences, The Montana Chapters of The American Fisheries Society and The Wildlife Society. Abstracts from presentations at annual meetings of the co-sponsoring organizations appear in the last issue of each volume if submitted by the sponsoring organization(s) for any given year. This provides a permanent record of their annual meeting proceedings that is not only available to individual subscribers and libraries but now available on line through the Montana State University Library. This library has set up a locally hosted and maintained version of Open Journal Systems (OJS) to better serve IJS and increase its reach to people of the Intermountain region and beyond. Additionally, all volumes of IJS are now being unarchived, digitized and will be made available on-line through this system as they are completed. OJS is a journal management and publishing system that has been developed by the Public Knowledge Project through its federally funded efforts to expand and improve access to research. It is an Open Access journal platform that works to disseminate and preserve scholarly research content. OJS seeks to improve both the scholarly and public quality of refereed research through its management systems, its finely grained indexing of research and the context it provides for research.
From Echolocation to Action: How Montana’s Bat Monitoring Program Informs Management
Montana’s Bat Monitoring Program has grown substantially over the past decade as threats such as white-nose syndrome (WNS) have become more prevalent within the state. Several bat species have been listed, or petitioned, under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). In 2025, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) and partners continued targeted disease surveillance and monitoring to document the spread of WNS, and the fungus that causes it (Pseudogymnoascus destructans; Pd), within Montana. This effort is coupled with surveys, using the North American Bat Monitoring Program, to evaluate disease impacts on bat populations. Data collected during these efforts have been used to model the effect of Pd on WNS-susceptible species and inform species status rankings and the 2025 State Wildlife Action Plan (SWAP) revision. Additionally, monitoring data inform management and conservation decisions. For example, experts identified vaccines as the action most likely to mitigate WNS-driven declines during a structured decision-making process using monitoring data, and the SWAP identifies this conservation action/intervention as a priority. Although this action is infeasible at a statewide scale, MFWP plans to implement oral vaccination to WNS-susceptible bats at select maternity roosts to facilitate persistence of larger colonies during disease invasion and epidemic phases. We will evaluate whether vaccination can help facilitate population recovery in local areas, in collaboration with national efforts to track landscape-level impacts. This will allow MFWP to build on the existing Bat Monitoring Program while undertaking targeted management interventions aimed at preserving large colonies of WNS-susceptible species listed or petitioned under the ESA.
Copyright (c) 2026 Intermountain Journal of Sciences
Conservation Genetics and Movement Ecology of Swift Fox on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (Poster)
Ensuring the persistence and expansion of swift fox (Vulpes velox) in the Great Plains will require conservation efforts that support a robust, connected population across core prairie habitat. The Fort Belknap Indian Community (FBIC) and Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) partnered to reintroduce 138 swift fox, from 2020 to 2024, to the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation (FBIR). The swift fox holds cultural importance to tribal nations across the Great Plains including both the Aaniiih and Nakoda Nations of the FBIR. The species had not been observed on the reservation for 50 years prior to the project, thus presenting an opportunity to collaborate to accomplish a conservation objective that holds both ecological and cultural value. Initial monitoring efforts demonstrated that swift foxes had established territories and reproduced. Our partnership team of researchers from NZCBI and Montana State University will work with the FBIC to assess the status of the Fort Belknap swift fox population utilizing genetic and movement data. Genetic analyses will assess genetic diversity, kinship to founders, and potential gene flow between the FBIR population and adjacent populations. We will use movement data to analyze habitat utilization and dispersal movements. Our synthesis of the genetic and movement analyses will provide a basis for a conservation plan for the reintroduced population and will speak to factors that impact reintroduction success. Here we present our proposed plans for this research as well as some preliminary observations from our first field season in fall 2025
Investigating the Effect of Forestry Management Practices on Bat Habitat Selection in a Fire Prone Ecosystem
Bats in temperate North America (NA) are suffering from declining populations related to the reduction of roosting and foraging habitat, wind energy development, climate change, and the introduction of disease. Although some information is known about the ecology and behavior of bat species in eastern NA, much less is known about the general ecology and habitat needs of bats in the West. To help fill this gap and understand how bats are using western forests, we are researching bat habitat selection in southeastern Montana, with the goal of understanding how bats respond to forestry management practices utilized by the Bureau of Land Management to minimize stand-replacing wildfires. Bats captured on the landscape were tagged with VHF radio tags and tracked to roosts using both drone-based and ground telemetry methods. With the use of drone telemetry, we tracked bats for thirteen days to 14 unique roosts (rock and snags were used). These data were then compared to forestry treatment methods (control, burn, mastication, and thinning) to understand patterns and trends in bat use. Here we present preliminary results from the 2025 field season, detailing successes and challenges in studying cryptic animals in a vast landscape.
Evaluating the Direct and Indirect Effects of Harvest on Variation in Group Composition and Group Size for Grey Wolves in Idaho (Poster)
For cooperative breeders, like grey wolves (Canis lupus), that live in groups where non-breeding individuals share in the care of offspring, human-caused mortality can affect group members through changes to social hierarchies, reproduction, survival, and other demographic processes that structure groups. Prey availability and competition further influence demographic processes and likely have interactive effects with harvest. Despite extensive research, we still lack a full understanding of the mechanisms through which harvest affects wolf groups, or how these effects may be moderated by prey availability and competition. Our objective is to identify the direct and indirect mechanisms through which harvest most strongly influences different age and breeding classes and determine how prey availability and competition interact with harvest to affect group composition and size in wolves of Idaho, USA. Using an 18-year genetic dataset and a structural equation modelling framework, we hypothesize that beyond direct mortality, harvest most strongly affects 1) recruitment of pups by altering the composition of breeders and non-breeders, 2) dispersal of non-breeders by altering competition for breeding opportunities, and 3) the frequency of multiple breeding individuals in a group through social disruption. We further hypothesize that greater prey availability and competition will mediate these relationships by altering inter-group competition for food, breeding opportunities, and territories. Uncovering the direct and indirect mechanisms through which harvest most strongly influences group composition and size, and how the landscape-level context of resource availability and competition alters these relationships can allow for more informed management decisions and targeted management actions.
Understanding Landowner Decisions to Secure Bear Attractants in the Bitterroot Valley
Human–bear conflict remains a challenge in western Montana, with many conflicts driven by unsecured anthropogenic attractants. While attractant securement is widely promoted as an effective mitigation strategy, less is known about how landowners decide whether and when to adopt these practices. This study examines how reference groups and risk perception influence landowners’ decisions to secure bear attractants in the Bitterroot Valley. We conducted semi-structured interviews with private landowners in the Bitterroot Valley. Interviews examined perceptions of bear presence and risk, social influences on management decisions, and experiences with wildlife. Interview data was analyzed using thematic analysis to identify patterns in decision-making related to attractant securement. Emerging findings suggest that perceived risk is strongly influenced by direct experience with bears, particularly knowledge of bear presence on one’s property. Landowners who had observed bears or evidence of bear activity frequently described increased concern and greater motivation to secure attractants. Reference groups were largely interpersonal and local, with neighbors and close social contacts serving as primary sources of information and behavioral cues. These social interactions influenced how participants assessed risk and evaluated which attractant management behaviors were necessary or socially appropriate. These preliminary results underscore the importance of accounting for lived experience and local social networks in human-bear conflict mitigation efforts. Management strategies that engage trusted community members and acknowledge experiential knowledge may improve adoption of attractant securement practices.
Movement-Based Parturition Detection Methods for Elk Neonate Captures - A Case Study
Accurate estimates of neonate survival and mortality rates can provide valuable information to effectively manage ungulate populations. To obtain these estimates, researchers often need to capture neonates, which can be challenging. Typically, researchers capture neonates opportunistically or by deploying vaginally implanted transmitters (VITs) in pregnant females, but these methods are not always effective or feasible. Female ungulates display distinct movement behaviors around parturition, which have been used to identify birth events and locate neonates for capture. To improve efficiency of detecting parturition events and capturing neonates to estimate elk (Cervus canadensis) calf survival in northwest Montana, we developed a movement-based parturition detection workflow. We used a threshold-based approach with four movement metrics (home range size, residence time, velocity, and displacement) to identify potential birth events from collared female elk. We created an automated workflow in R that calculated movement metrics and displayed recent GPS data and combined this workflow with a structured search process to locate elk neonates in the field. Using this movement ased detection method, we detected and captured 41 neonate elk in 2024 and 40 in 2025. Although imperfect, this method of detecting birth events from collared females’ movement behavior was more effective in our study area than opportunistic or VIT-based methods. We believe this method could be widely applicable to other neonate ungulate capture efforts and recommend its use as an alternative or addition to existing methods.
Increasing Tolerance for Wildlife on Private Lands in Montana’s Great Plains Region
Private landowners in Montana make critical land management decisions that influence ecological conditions and wildlife coexistence across both private and adjacent public lands. American Prairie’s Wild Sky Program works with landowners in Central Montana to increase tolerance for wildlife and incentivize wildlife-friendly management practices through direct economic incentives. The program currently includes 21 participants and more than 80,000 deeded acres. Participating landowners receive payments for wildlife documented on their properties via trail cameras, with incentives ranging from $25 per image of a coyote to $500 for a wolf or grizzly bear. Additional payments support wildlife-friendly practices such as fence modifications, carnivore coexistence agreements, and range riding. In 2025, Wild Sky distributed more than $80,000 to participating landowners. The program is also collecting social science data to assess changes in participant attitudes toward wildlife and coexistence. Together, these efforts aim to strengthen conservation outcomes on working lands while supporting the people who steward them.
The Distribution of Bison Wallows in the Mixed Grass Prairie of North-Central Montana (Poster)
As ecosystem engineers, plains bison (Bison bison bison) shape their environment and increase overall landscape heterogeneity through intensive grazing and wallowing. Wallowing is when bison roll on their backs and sides, creating bare depressed patches of soil. The subsequent wallows have been shown to provide habitat for many organisms including insects, amphibians, and flowering plants. Despite their importance to landscape heterogeneity, it is not well understood what factors influence their distribution across landscapes where bison are present. Our study took place in two fenced bison pastures in north-central Montana managed by American Prairie, which focuses on the restoration of bison to private nature reserves. We collected drone imagery from 45 randomly selected 500x500 meter plots across the two pastures. We annotated the imagery in ArcGIS Pro to identify locations and characteristics of wallowing sites. The drone imagery was then used to calculate bison wallow density. We analyzed the relationships between wallow density, environmental characteristics, and bison movement behavior. The environmental characteristics included presence or absence of other mammal species, slope, and land cover. We estimated bison intensity of use with a dynamic Brownian bridge movement model from over 100 GPS ear tagged bison. These results improve our understanding of where wallows are distributed across the landscape. By uncovering the relationships between bison wallows, environmental characteristics, and bison behavior, we can better predict where and to what extent bison reintroductions will impact landscape heterogeneity.
Factors Influencing Plains Bison Group Stability and Fission Fusion Events
Plains bison (Bison bison bison), a keystone species in North American grasslands, exhibit fission-fusion dynamics in which they break into smaller groups and coalesce into larger groups over time. However, it is unclear what social and environmental factors drive these dynamics. We utilized movement data from solar-powered GPS ear tags to examine fission and fusion dynamics for three bison herds over multiple years at American Prairie in northcentral Montana. We simultaneously tracked between 25 and 90% of the adult female bison in each herd, allowing us to identify the factors influencing changes in group composition. We classified time steps as either containing a fission or a fusion, characterized by at least two bison leaving or joining a group. Groups were defined based on the percentage overlap of utilization polygons generated with the CTMM package in R. We investigated the impact of environmental and social factors on both the probability that a timestep will contain a fission or fusion event and the duration of a group’s stability. Our environmental variables include remotely sensed metrics of forage quality, forage quantity, and landcover. Social variables include group size, composition, and average relatedness. Our results suggest that both social and environmental factors impact fission fusion probability and group size, though different aspects of group dynamics respond to different ecological factors. Since the keystone role of bison is tied to their intensive grazing and collective movements, it is important to understand how the size and composition of groups change over time and environmental characteristics.
Identifying a Hidden Social Structure in a Solitary Carnivore
The American black bear (Ursus americanus) is traditionally considered a solitary species, yet accumulating evidence suggests complex social behavior. We integrate land-tenure, resource dispersion, and kinship theories to generate predictions about carnivore social structure. We tested predictions about spatial overlap, association, and resource sharing using GPS, genetic, and video data from 50 bears across a 2,400 km² region encompassing the northern Bitterroot Valley and the adjacent northern Sapphire Mountains in western Montana, USA, between 2010 to 2024. Home ranges overlapped extensively (mean overlap = 38.5%), and tracking behavior—defined as directional movement following for a sustained period—accounted for 39.5% of all recorded interactions, occurring more than an order of magnitude more frequently than avoidance. Genetic analyses assigned 11 sires for 45 cubs with multiple paternity detected in 4 of 11 litters (36%); neither age nor body mass predicted male annual reproductive success. We also documented sustained synchronous movements among dyads, including unrelated individuals outside the mating season, as well as evidence of stable, spatially dispersed, pack-like social groups. Together, these results demonstrate that black bear social structure extends beyond mating and kinship, supporting classification of the species as facultatively social along the solitary–social carnivore spectrum.
Characterizing Reproductive States in Canada Lynx (Lynx Canadensis) and Wolverine (Gulo Gulo) Using Non-Invasively Sampled Fecal Hormones
Non-invasively collected samples such as feces and hair are regularly used in wildlife management to identify species’ presence on the landscape. In some cases, genetic methods can be used to identify sex and specific individuals from these sample types when materials are high quality. Identifying reproductive state non-invasively is more challenging. We evaluated potential hormonal markers of reproduction for Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) and wolverine (Gulo gulo) in non-invasively collected scat. We describe validation of assays for fecal progesterone, prostaglandin metabolites, and cortisol and describe how seasonal patterns of these hormone metabolites are altered by reproductive state. We discuss the utility of endocrine measures for non-invasively monitoring reproductive state in forest carnivores of conservation interest.
Cattle Influence on Ungulate Habitat Use in Eastern Montana (Poster)
Several studies have explored interactions between cattle and deer, specifically those associated with disease transmission and direct and indirect competition. These interactions may be further exaggerated immediately surrounding shared, limiting resources. In semi-arid prairie ecosystems, where grazing is common and water is limited, riparian sites may increase interactions and one scale competition between cattle and deer. Understanding spatiotemporal overlap may help inform these potential interactions. For example, past studies highlight behavioral changes in mule deer when cattle are present, suggesting that mule deer shift to a more nocturnal activity pattern. We will examine spatiotemporal partitioning around prairie streams where deer and cattle share habitat. We set 63 camera traps across 5 prairie streams in northeastern Montana from June through September to record crepuscular and nighttime activity, capturing activity from 7pm to 7am nightly. We captured cattle use at 18 sites across 4 streams and deer activity at 48 sites across 5 streams. Image data, including time and location of activity, will be analyzed to assess overlap and partitioning behavior between deer and cattle. Initial results suggest that deer shift their activity patterns in response to the presence of cows.
Comparing Camera-Based Ungulate Density Estimates: A Case Study Using an Island Population of Bighorn Sheep
Camera-based abundance estimators are an alternative methodology of growing interest in both research and management applications. The statistical formulations of camera-based abundance estimators using time-lapse data should theoretically produce precise and unbiased estimates; however, production of unbiased results also requires meeting several important assumptions, and real-world case studies evaluating such results remain relatively few. We applied instantaneous sampling (IS) and space-to-event (STE) estimators to remote camera data collected in April 2021 via time-lapse sampling of closed populations of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) and mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) on Wild Horse Island in western Montana, USA, and compared results for bighorn sheep to aerial and ground-based counts. Point estimates from camera-based approaches underestimated bighorn sheep populations by 32–44% (IS estimator) and 62–69% (STE estimator) relative to aerial and ground counts. Patchy spatial distribution and group-living behavior of sheep resulted in a high degree of noise surrounding the IS estimate. In comparison, a low point estimate with relatively narrow confidence intervals suggested potential sensitivity of the STE estimator to violating assumptions of independence among individual animals and sampling occasions. Estimates of mule deer had improved precision over sheep estimates, as indicated by lower estimated coefficients of variation of the mean (CVmean) derived from the analytic SE estimator. Using 15-m viewsheds and the IS estimators, mule deer density estimates came with a 26% CVmean compared to 43% CVmean for bighorn sheep. This discrepancy may be a result of differences in distribution, behavior, and relative abundance between the 2 species. Accounting for group size and increasing time between sampling may improve accuracy of density estimates and adhere better to model assumptions when estimating precision. In addition, factors influencing viewshed and resulting density extrapolations must be considered carefully. While camerabased methods theoretically provide an alternative way to estimate density when traditional methods are impractical, our results suggest that more work is needed to ensure density estimates are accurate and precise enough to inform population management.
Using eDNA to Determine Occupancy of Coeur D’Alene Salamanders
Coeur d’Alene salamanders (Plethodon idahoensis) are found in small, isolated populations in the mountains of Montana, Idaho and British Columbia. Effective conservation of this species hinges upon understanding population distribution and connectivity; however, identifying occupied Coeur d’Alene salamander (CDL) sites is challenging. Surveys in Montana have been haphazard and have involved biologists searching potential sites during rainy nights in the early summer. To evaluate alternative survey methods, we sampled water at known-occupied CDL sites across western Montana to evaluate the efficacy and applicability of using environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect CDLs, as well as covariates that impacted CDL detection. We first developed a species-specific eDNA Taqman® quantitative PCR assay. We then used repeated eDNA sampling to evaluate how different environmental covariates would impact detection probability of CDLs and used these results to recommend a survey protocol. We found that optimal eDNA sampling conditions for CDLs occurred at night, within 50 m of the downstream extent of preferred salamander habitat, and at lower water flow rates. Under these conditions, five,5-L water samples were required to achieve a detection rate above 79%. The results of this study revealed that eDNA analysis is a viable method to estimate CDL occupancy at potential sites across their range; however, eDNA analysis can be costly, so combining this method with visual searches is advised.
Riparian Songbird Condition Reflects Both Diet Quality and Metal Exposure in the Mining-Impaired Upper Clark Fork River Superfund (Poster)
Mining contamination is a widespread ecological disturbance with disproportionate effects on river and riparian ecosystems that support breeding birds. Riparian songbirds rely heavily on insects to fuel their breeding seasons, particularly high-quality emergent aquatic insects. Elevated metals from mine waste can cause mortality during insect metamorphosis, limiting the availability of aquatic prey, or they can accumulate in insect tissues, causing toxic metal exposure. Thus, diet mediates a dual risk of metal exposure and nutritional stress for riparian birds, yet the relative importance of these stressors remains unresolved. To evaluate diet-mediated effects of mining contamination, we measured nestling body condition (fat score and size-corrected mass), telomere length (qPCR), diet composition (DNA metabarcoding), and blood metal concentrations (Pb, As, Cd, Cu, Zn, Se; ICP-MS) in four riparian songbird species sampled across the heavily contaminated Upper Clark Fork River watershed in 2022– 2023. Blood metal concentrations were highest at the most contaminated sites, with species- specific patterns consistent with predicted reliance on aquatic versus terrestrial prey. Hierarchical Bayesian structural equation models revealed site-specific relationships among diet, metal exposure, and condition. Generally, greater reliance on aquatic prey was associated with higher fat scores and lower metal accumulation. Surprisingly, overall metal burden was not associated with condition; instead, higher lead and copper predicted lower condition, whereas higher selenium and arsenic were associated with improved condition, suggesting antagonistic or protective effects among metals. These results highlight the importance of diet and the complexity of metal mixtures as stressors for riparian birds in mining-contaminated systems.
Understanding Yellowstone’s Loons: an Integrated Approach for Long-Term Monitoring Data (Poster)
In the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a small, disjunct population of common loons (Gavia immer) persists as a unique stronghold amid historical range contraction. Despite being both highly valued by visitors and intensively managed by biologists, little can be said about the population’s status or trajectory. We aim to apply an integrated approach to leverage information from disparate datasets into one modeling framework. Using yearly breeding pair counts, chick production numbers, and band resights from marked individuals, we are developing an integrated population model (IPM) to estimate the parameters that drive population change. This work aims to improve managers’ understanding of the conservation status of loons in Yellowstone and to inform more effective allocation of monitoring and management efforts.
Monitoring Movements of Montana Bat Species Using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System
Since 2018, Tetra Tech and MPG Ranch have collaborated to investigate local and migratory movements of bats using the Motus Wildlife Tracking System (Motus) across the Bitterroot Valley and the continental United States. Motus relies on coded VHF radio transmitters and a world-wide array of automated receivers to detect individual movements. Our project, based in the intermountain west, produces key insights that fill research gaps about bats in Montana and the surrounding region. Home ranges are one of many research gaps surrounding local bat populations, and the Motus network’s passive monitoring system offers a unique tool to study this important element of bat ecology. The little brown bat (Myotis lucifugus) has a relatively small home range and therefore represents an excellent test species. This study provides the first analysis of little brown bat home ranges in Montana, despite the species being widely distributed and relatively common across the state. This research also evaluated how many tagged little brown bats are needed to capture the variation in individual home ranges. Evaluating the best tools to study and monitor this species is particularly relevant given the species is under discretionary review by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Pronounced Effects of Hunter Harvest on Mountain Goats in the Case of Small and Demographically Fragmented Populations
With spatially patchy population structuring, slow life history, and relatively high vulnerability of reproductive-aged females to harvest, mountain goats are a species where the intersection of small populations and harvest management has important implications. There are rules of thumb for harvest rates of mountain goats, but how to define population units when applying such rules can be unclear. We combined historic data for hunter harvest of mountain goats in Montana with population projection matrix models to explore goat dynamics under harvest management. First, we used historic hunter harvest data to assess the evidence that hunting played a role in native mountain goat population declines. Next, we assessed the implications of spatial structuring of goat populations when applying recommend harvest rates to populations in the future. Rectifying simulated population dynamics with historic hunter harvest data suggests over-harvest to be a likely culprit behind declines in several native populations in Montana, even under an assumption of otherwise favorable demographic conditions. Second, the spatial management of harvest can strongly influence the impacts of harvest going forward, with potential to exacerbate harvest effects if unevenly prescribed across subpopulations.
Factors Influencing Pronghorn Migration Behavior and Plasticity
Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) exhibit substantial variation and plasticity in migration behaviors, which can enhance population resiliency to unpredictable environmental conditions. Using GPS collar data from 516 adult females across eight herds in Montana (2019–2023), we characterized spring migration behaviors and evaluated environmental, demographic, and anthropogenic drivers of migration behavior, winter range plasticity, and migration behavior plasticity. Most animal-years were non-migratory, with pronghorn remaining as residents (77%) or showing gradual range shifts (11%), while others migrated to single (18%) or multiple (4%) summer ranges. We documented plasticity in both migration behavior and winter range fidelity: 5.5% of non-migrant animal-years switched to migrant behavior, 27.7% of migrant animal-years switched to non-migrant behavior, and 15.4% of animal-years shifting to new winter range than used prior. The probability of expressing a migrant behavior increased with higher winter–spring precipitation and road density and decreased with stronger green-wave dynamics and greater agricultural subsidy. Agricultural subsidy also increased the probability of switching from migrant to non-migrant behavior, suggesting that consistent forage associated with agriculture can reduce the need for spring migration. Together, these results demonstrate that pronghorn occupying montane-valley and prairie environments use a range of migratory strategies and retain notable behavioral flexibility, supporting adaptive capacity in variable and human-altered landscapes. Conservation strategies that maintain landscape connectivity and accommodate diverse, plastic migration behaviors will be critical for sustaining pronghorn populations under ongoing environmental and anthropogenic change.
Past, Present, and Future of Whitebark Pine in The Northern Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem
The recent federal listing of whitebark pine as threatened highlights the vulnerability of this species. Because it is imperiled range-wide, it is important to understand the trends and patterns of whitebark pine mortality and natural regeneration at a landscape scale. This can define the magnitude of the problem and inform a management response. Whitebark pine has been the focus of monitoring efforts across its range, including the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). The northern tier of the GYE includes the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness and adjacent national forest lands, a nearly 1.5-millionacre area with extensive WBP forests. In 1995, a multifaceted whitebark pine monitoring program was initiated by the Custer-Gallatin and Shoshone Forests that is unique in spatial scale and longevity. It assesses whitebark pine condition in the context of landscape level fires and beetle and blister rust epidemics. For three decades, data on forest structure and condition, tree mortality, and seedling establishment was collected during repeat visits at ~2,000 transects across 1.5 million acres. We are conducting final visits to these transects which will complete this comprehensive monitoring program addressing ecological issues tied to persistent management concerns. We will summarize monitoring from 1995 to 2025 and offer preliminary results.
Comparing AI-Based Camera Monitoring to Human Bird Surveys at Freezout Lake
Conventional avian monitoring relies heavily on human observers, which limits temporal coverage and can introduce observer bias. Autonomous camera systems paired with artificial intelligence (AI) offer a potential complement, but few have been directly evaluated against established bird survey methods under field conditions. We evaluated an AI-driven camera monitoring system, Binoculars to Bytes (B2B), by comparing its outputs to professional biologist surveys and citizen-science observations at Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area, Montana. Cameras operated continuously during migration seasons, generating high-frequency visual data that were processed into standardized survey outputs comparable to human observations. Across seasons, AI-derived species presence patterns broadly aligned with both professional and eBird records, with agreement improving when modest temporal mismatches between surveys were accounted for. The system consistently underestimated counts for large flocks, highlighting an important limitation shared by many camera-based survey approaches. However, continuous operation enabled the AI system to capture phenological patterns—including early arrivals and late departures—not consistently observed during periodic human surveys. Beyond presence and counts, high-frequency sampling supported additional analyses such as sex-ratio estimation, species co-occurrence, and exploratory distance-based detectability. These results demonstrate that autonomous camera systems can complement aspects of traditional avian monitoring by increasing sampling frequency and standardization while revealing ecological patterns difficult to capture with human-only surveys.
Habitat Patches, Leks, and Nesting Areas Shape Dispersal Movements of Translocated Sharp-Tailed Grouse
Extensive post‑release dispersal has challenged prairie grouse reintroductions, because long movements expose grouse to high mortality. GPS transmitters now allow us to identify ecological drivers of these movements and refine release strategies. We monitored 149 female sharp-tailed grouse released in the Bitterroot and Blackfoot Valleys during 2023–2025 within a 5‑year reintroduction effort to evaluate how translocation characteristics and habitat features influenced post-release movements. We distinguished dispersing from settled movements using behavioral change point analysis, then classified dispersal into exploratory and encamped states using hidden Markov models. Dispersal differed between sites: grouse released in the Bitterroot traveled an average of 147 km over 26 days prior to settling, while those in the Blackfoot traveled 47 km over 10 days. As increasing lek attendance provides stronger social attraction, we expected movements in the Blackfoot to decrease over time but observed little interannual change. Translocation attributes – including age, release group size, timing, and source population – did not influence distance moved. During dispersal, grouse moved through valleys using patches of grassland and shrubland as stepping-stones, and 30% of birds in the Bitterroot and 42% in the Blackfoot ultimately settled and established home ranges. Settlement locations were typically in large, continuous grassland or shrubland patches and near leks or nesting areas, and females nested an average of 8 days after settling. Availability and proximity to grassland and shrubland nesting habitat, rather than individual or translocation characteristics, may drive movement distances. Managers should prioritize releasing grouse near leks and established nesting areas.
Examining Significance of Human Disturbance on Nest Selection in Great Gray Owls (Strix Nebulosa) in Southwest Montana Using an Rsf Model (Poster)
Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa) are one of the most understudied raptor species in North America.In Montana, there is currently no peer-reviewed research about the species, and many aspects of the species’ ecology are not well understood. In this study, we aimed to quantify the effect of human landscape disturbances (roads, trails, recreation sites) on Great Gray Owl nest selection in southwest Montana. We used ten known nest sites with breeding attempts in the last ive years that were identi ied by wildlife managers in southwest Montana. We then used a resource selection function to compare the human disturbance covariates between the used nest sites and randomly generated available points. We used a forward stepwise model selection approach to determine which combination of human disturbance variables best explained the observed data. We found that Great Gray Owls selected for nest sites in areas with higher trail density but found no support for an effect of roads or recreation sites on nest site selection. Latent habitat covariates such as trail construction creating gentler slopes with mixed open/forested areas, or the small sample size could have contributed to the observed results. The positive relationship with trail density could also be attributed to owl nests being more likely to be found near trails than in less accessible areas. Future research using a larger sample size and exploring the effects of intensity of trail use would be valuable to further evaluate the effects of human disturbance on nest selection.
Estimating Mountain Goat Abundance in an Alpine Transboundary Protected Area Using Genetic Data, Community Science, and Spatial Capture-Recapture
Alpine ecosystems are among the most climate-sensitive environments, yet monitoring wildlife in these remote landscapes remains challenging. Mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), an iconic alpine species, inhabit rugged terrain within the Waterton–Glacier International Peace Park (WGIPP), a transboundary protected area spanning the U.S.–Canada border. Long-term citizen science surveys indicate ~45% declines in goat numbers since 2008, but absolute abundance estimates have been lacking. We integrated noninvasive genetic sampling with spatial capture–recapture (SCR) modeling to estimate population size and spatial distribution while accounting for imperfect detection. Fecal samples (n=556) were collected in 2022 by U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service, Parks Canada staff, and trained volunteers, with 32% of samples contributed by citizen scientists. Genotyping identified 174 unique goats, with an average recapture rate of 2.8 and 57% spatial recaptures. Detection probability was positively influenced by search effort and habitat suitability and negatively by forest cover. We estimated 1,715 goats (95% CRI: 1,254–2,280) across the state space, including 1,188 in Glacier and 138 in Waterton. Abundance was strongly associated with human habituation and proximity to mineral licks, and negatively with hiking trail density, suggesting complex interactions between resource availability and human use. Our findings highlight the feasibility of large-scale genetic monitoring in alpine environments and underscore the value of citizen science for expanding spatial coverage. Spatially explicit abundance estimates provide actionable insights for managing mineral resources, trail networks, and human–wildlife interactions in transboundary alpine landscapes under accelerating environmental change.
Are Ungulate Species Variable in Their Habitat Selection in Northwest Montana?
Understanding animal movement can be important for monitoring design and management decision making. Ungulate movement in the landscape is often driven by the local environment. Most, if not all, ungulate species select for food resources and safety, and their movement is facilitated by landscape structures. However, species do not necessarily respond to their environment in the same way. To quantify variability in species responses to their environment, we leveraged a multi-ungulate system in Northwest Montana. This area is heavily forested but heterogenous as areas of it are subjected to yearly wildfires, commercial logging, hunting, and dissected by roadways. We collared 13 elk, Cervus canadensis, 25 white-tailed deer, Odocoileus virginianus, and 25 mule deer, O. hemionus during 2024-2025. We analyzed GPS fixes (3-hour intervals) using step selection functions. We built singlespecies models, tested for the effect of habitat features, and compared ungulate habitat selection with the same spatial and temporal extent and resolutions. This comparative study sheds light on similarities, but also differences in ungulate habitat selection. Results may also inform design of camera-trap based monitoring protocols.
Distance Sampling to Estimate the Urban Deer Density of Bozeman, Montana
In recent years, deer-vehicle collisions have increased in Bozeman, Montana. A high white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) population has become hard to ignore in southeast Bozeman, contributing to the concerns surrounding CWD and its recent appearance within city limits. While distance sampling is a common sampling method to estimate deer densities, there are limited studies measuring deer densities using this sampling method in urban environments. In part of developing a new management plan for this urban population, we performed distance sampling to estimate Bozeman’s urban white-tailed deer density. On December 11th and 12th, two trucks covered 13 road transects of varying lengths during the last three hours of daylight. The transects were divided equally between the trucks, herd size, distance to the center of the herd, and the initial angle of detection were then measured from observers within the trucks. This information was then put through an analysis in RStudio to estimate the urban deer density. The resulting estimate and methodology are expected to contribute to an upcoming, continuous urban deer management plan.
Floral eDNA Rivals Traditional Surveys for Detecting Bumble Bee Species of Concern
Recent pollinator declines emphasize a need for improved sampling approaches to facilitate efficient monitoring of species of concern. We assessed a new sampling framework consisting of flower collection, qPCR assays to detect environmental DNA (eDNA), and occupancy models suitable for evaluating drivers of species distributions. We tested the performance of this framework for two bumble bee species of conservation concern—Bombus affinis (rusty patched bumble bee) and B. occidentalis (western bumble bee)—compared to traditional survey methods. Each eDNA sample consisted of approximately 250 mL of flower heads placed in a bag and frozen; multiple eDNA samples were collected from each site. Surveys consisted of repeated 30-minute visual surveys for B. affinis and 45-minute netting surveys for B. occidentalis. For both species, detection and occupancy probabilities derived from eDNA sampling matched traditional 30–45-minute visual and netting surveys. A single eDNA sample had similar detection probability to a 45-minute netting survey for B. occidentalis; for B. affinis, detection via a single eDNA sample was only slightly lower. Detection probability via eDNA was more heavily influenced by bee activity during sampling than by weather variables that may degrade eDNA. Sampling flower species with higher eDNA detection rates and under conditions that heighten bee activity—such as warm temperatures and peak colony activity dates—increased eDNA detection probability. Success with these species shows promise for identifying cryptic pollinator species. Floral eDNA sampling can sometimes outperform traditional methods of bumble bee sampling by reducing fieldwork without compromising accuracy.
Management Strategy Evaluation for Informing Decisions About Wolf Management and Conservation
Decisions about wildlife conservation and management are often challenged by limited information about how potential actions may impact management goals. Adaptive management can reduce this uncertainty and lead to better outcomes by iteratively applying management, monitoring outcomes, updating models, and making management decisions based on the updated information. Management strategy evaluation (MSE) is a simulation approach for evaluating the efficacy of various management actions under different states of the world within an adaptive framework. To demonstrate MSE use, we present a case study of the wolf harvest and management decision problem in Montana. Given the large suite of management objectives articulated for wolves in Montana, we present methods and results as they relate to wolf population objectives.Methods include projection models for the wolf population, simulation of data collection and fitting of estimation and projection models, identifying management decisions based on harvest control rules, and implementation of the decisions. We discuss how additional fundamental management objectives will be incorporated as this work progresses. Our application shows how incorporating social and ecological aspects into a MSE framework, along with all relevant forms of uncertainty, can offer insight into how management goals are likely to be influenced by various management actions over long time scales.
Restoring Western Montana’s Sharp-Tailed Grouse (Tympanuchus Phasianellus): 2026 Progress Report
Sharp-tailed grouse have been a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks priority for 35 years. Through the second half of the 1900s, sharp-tailed grouse populations west of the Continental Divide were considered isolated and extremely small, becoming extirpated by the early 2000s. Sharp-tailed grouse translocations from eastern Montana to the Bitterroot, Blackfoot and Drummond Valleys began in the fall of 2021 with 75 males. Spring 2022 our efforts were shortened due to avian influenza with 22 birds translocated. In 2023 and 2024, 144 and 212 birds were translocated respectively to the Blackfoot and Bitterroot Valleys. In 2025, 199 translocated birds were released in all three western Montana valleys. Translocated females were fitted with GPS or VHF transmitters and monitored during the summer nesting seasons to assess demography and population viability of the reintroduced populations. Most female mortalities occurred in the first 3–4 weeks following release, and survival during the 100 days following translocation was an average 0.48 (95% CI = 0.41 – 0.56) in the Blackfoot and 0.27 (0.19 – 0.40) in the Bitterroot. Survival in Drummond 0.47 (95% CI = 0.35 – 0.65) was comparable to the average survival in the Blackfoot. Nest survival across all years and sites was 0.34 (95% CI = 0.28 – 0.44), similar to established sharp-tailed grouse populations. Brood success at 45 days post-hatch was 56% in 2023, 53% in 2024 and 23% in 2025. We observed 7 newly established leks since 2021 with 79 grouse in 2025. Translocations will occur through 2026 with monitoring continuing 5-years post-translocation.
Defining Elk Security Habitat in Montana – Ongoing Research and Outreach
As part of the Montana Statewide Elk Management Plan, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks set a statewide objective of resolving conflicts in concentrations, distributions, and behaviors of elk (Cervus canadensis), which included a commitment to formally define elk security habitat. Generally defined, elk security habitat provides areas where elk can reduce their susceptibility to being harvested during the hunting season while still meeting their biological requirements. While security habitat has been formally identified and quantified in previous studies in Montana, recommendations for security habitat have varied considerably, causing confusion for wildlife and land managers seeking to implement these recommendations. Our objective is to develop area-specific recommendations for public land management across Montana, based on elk security needs that will encourage elk use of public lands throughout the hunting seasons. We plan to use a resource selection modeling approach with existing elk GPS location data from 32 herds across Montana from 2001-2025 to identify security thresholds for elk and identify landscapes where additional data is needed to inform land management recommendations. To ensure involvement and ownership by state and federal wildlife managers and biologists, we are currently forming a working group that will help provide guidance on study plans and products. We are still in the early stages of this project, so we encourage participation in working group meetings and any additional feedback on the proposed design.
Assessing the Mitigated Loss of Grassland Bird Habitat Through Conservation Easements and Leases in Eastern Montana
Land set-aside programs have been identified as key to the future of wildlife populations. Conservation easements and leases, both of which function to minimize habitat conversion for a typically decades-long period, impact wildlife populations through prevention of potential habitat loss. The conservation benefits of easements and leases are thus relative to the site-specific risk of habitat loss and the duration on the landscape. We combined spatially explicit data on conservation easements and leases with models of habitat conversion risk, wildlife density, and population trend – while also accounting for the growing impact of easements/leases with time – to approximate the loss of wildlife populations that has been averted by conservation easements and leases. We applied this framework to grassland songbird species (Baird’s sparrow, chestnut-collared longspur, Sprague’s pipits, thick-billed longspur) in Eastern Montana. We estimated that rangewide populations are 5-7% greater now due to the potential loss mitigated by conservation easements/leases. We also used population projections to assess the impact of additional anticipated investment in easements/leases across focal areas in eastern Montana. We found that the relative contribution of Montana easements and leases towards maintaining core populations of grassland bird species is expected to grow over time and play a critical role in reducing extinction risk. This work provides a spatially and temporally explicit framework for considering how investments in land set-aside programs is anticipated to impact wildlife populations.
Acoustic Monitoring of Migratory Shorebirds In Montana (Poster)
Acoustic monitoring is increasingly being utilized to monitor migratory birds on the move, but has typically been applied to landbirds, primarily songbirds. To evaluate the efficacy of acoustic monitoring for monitoring shorebird migration, we trained a shorebird-capable acoustic classifier based on Nighthawk, a deep learning model. The classifier detected tens of thousands of shorebird flight calls in a 2012-2018 acoustic dataset from the Bitterroot Valley of Montana. We analyzed the spatial distribution and phenology of these detections and compared them with visual observations from the participatory science project eBird. Our data suggest that acoustic monitoring has great promise for monitoring shorebird migration, particularly for monitoring underdetected via traditional surveys.
Elk Browsing Intensity Impacts Aspen Recruitment on Multiple Use Landscape Over Three Decades
Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands are vital to ecosystem health, providing wildlife habitat, water and carbon sequestration, and natural fuel breaks. The Northern Yellowstone Winter Range, hereafter referred to as the northern range, is the wintering ground for the largest Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis) herd in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and extends outside YNP onto the Custer Gallatin National Forest (CGNF). The northern range elk population, which has historically varied between 5,000 and 19,000 individuals, relies on aspen for winter forage. As of 2024, over 85% of these elk migrate to the CGNF in winter and can have strong impacts on aspen stage structure. Aspen stands are also affected by changes in precipitation and encroachment by conifers. The goal of this study was to relate long-term changes over 34 years in aspen stage structure to precipitation, conifer encroachment, and elk browsing of data collected from over 300 aspen stands on the CGNF. Previous studies concluded that aspen recruitment was increasing on a local scale in a few surveyed drainages, but was not increasing on a landscape scale. We found that aspen stem recruitment is now increasing on a landscape scale following recent elk density decline, with a 90% increase in stem counts since 2006. Stems that have outgrown the upper browse height of elk (2 m) increased the most in aspen stands with greater snow water equivalent, lower browsing pressure, and in stands farther from YNP. These data can be used to identify at-risk stands and prioritize management interventions.
30-Year Human Use Trends in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness
Visitation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) has significantly increased in recent years. Visitor-use data, such as National Park gate counts and agency campground occupancy numbers, confirms this observation. Several studies are investigating the extent and implications of use at road-side recreational facilities where this pattern is most obvious. However, due to the difficulty of tracking visitor activities in remote areas, little has been reported on changes in backcountry human use. Approximately 26% of the GYE is designated or proposed Wilderness. It is assumed that this landscape is also experiencing an increase in visitor use. To address this data gap, our objective is to assess changes in visitor use in the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness (ABW) using the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) monitoring framework. This monitoring tool tracks human use by recording the distribution of campsites and human-caused resource impacts at each site. We capitalize on these data which have been collected over the past 30-years at over 1,500 sites in the ABW. We used trends and modeling efforts to determine that overall, human impacts have declining over the last 30 years in the ABW. These findings can inform managers regarding educational programs and regulations targeting wilderness-users in the ABW and, potentially, other Wilderness areas in the GYE.
Cougar Behavioral Responses to Drought: Movement, Habitat Selection, and Predation
Understanding how apex predators respond to climatic variability is critical for anticipating consequences of climate change across trophic levels. We used GPS-collar data from cougars (Puma concolor) across 14 independent studies to evaluate the influence of drought on summer ranges (measured as utilization distributions [UDs]), movement rates, habitat selection, and kill rates. We found that regional precipitation patterns modulated drought effects on cougar behavior: in desert regions, cougars moved less per day during drought compared to normal conditions, whereas in wetter ecoregions, they moved more. Cougar UDs did not shift spatially or change in size, rather, resident animals altered their habitat selection within UDs. During drought, cougars selected more strongly for areas near perennial water sources and edge habitats. Kill intervals were modestly reduced under drought, indicating slightly elevated kill rates, but the effect size was biologically negligible. These findings suggest that cougars may have adjusted their hunting strategies or tracked prey behavioral changes to maintain relatively stable predation rates despite potential drought-driven shifts in vegetation and ungulate behaviors. If drought simultaneously intensifies bottom-up pressures on ungulate populations while cougar predation rates remain relatively constant, these combined pressures could interact in ways that impact deer populations that were previously resilient to predation.
Factors Associated with Elk Distributions During Hunting Season in a Prairie Environment
Hunting pressure alters habitat selection of elk (Cervus canadensis), and understanding responses to hunting is important for effective population and habitat management. Although elk responses to hunting are well-studied in forested and mountainous environments in the western United States, elk-habitat relationships in open prairie landscapes are less understood. Our objectives were to evaluate elk habitat selection during the archery and rifle hunting seasons and investigate relationships between individual selection patterns and risk. We used GPS location data from male and female elk in the Custer Forest and Missouri Breaks areas of eastern Montana, USA, 2021-2024 and built resource selection functions to estimate population- and individual-level selection patterns. At the population level, elk generally selected for increasing canopy cover, terrain ruggedness, and distance from motorized routes, as well as for areas with restricted hunter access. Importantly, we found consistent, strong relationships with canopy cover, highlighting the value of this feature for elk security in landscapes where cover is relatively sparse. At the individual level, elk faced with higher risk (i.e., the proportion of locations on publicly accessible lands) in the Custer Forest tended to increase selection strength for canopy cover, while in the Missouri Breaks, elk tended to increase selection for more rugged terrain but generally did not alter selection for canopy cover. Lastly, we estimated security thresholds based on where most elk use occurred and produced associated maps to provide more concrete information for elk management.
Does Incorporating Habitat Selection Improve Viewshed Density Estimates Using Camera Traps?
Camera traps have great potential as a data collection tool to estimate population size of unmarked wildlife populations. Different methods have been developed for unmarked population size estimation, but their performance depends on meeting design requirements and model assumptions. If spatial variation in local abundance is captured by collective viewshed of camera traps, theoretically density estimates can be obtained by relating animal detections to the space sampled by each camera’s viewable area. To obtain reliable estimates across the total sampling area, camera locations need to be representative of the study area, so that extrapolating viewshed estimates to the total sampling area is justifiable. This assumption can be met with stratified random sampling, where the full range of population density or the underlying habitats that drive it is sampled proportional to their use. However, random placement of cameras is not favored by practitioners or may be even prohibited in hard-to-access locations. We used simulations and conducted a multi-season camera trapping and GPS telemetry study of a fenced population of white-tailed deer in Wisconsin to demonstrate and evaluate a new approach to account for unmodeled spatial variation in local abundance using the instantaneous sampling estimator. We showed negligible gains by incorporating predicted habitat use into viewshed density estimates. Specifically, weighting density estimates by habitat selection analysis did not reduce bias, but it reduced precision. We discuss our findings and focus on tradeoffs in following randomized sampling designs versus calibration of the estimates using auxiliary information in camera-based abundance studies of unmarked populations.
BiBiooacoustic Detection and Multi-Scale Habitat Assessment of Breeding Great Gray Owls in Southwest Montana
Great Gray Owls (Strix nebulosa), the largest owl species in North America, are one of the most understudied raptors on the continent. While the use of autonomous recording units (ARUs) has proven effective for assessing occupancy, there remains a need to evaluate how ARUs can be used to locate and monitor Great Gray Owls beyond the pre-nesting period. Additionally, the nesting habitat characteristics of Great Gray Owls have not been empirically evaluated across much of the Rocky Mountain portion of their range. In 2015, the Montana State Wildlife Action Plan designated Great Gray Owls as a species of greatest inventory need, prompting Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MT FWP) to conduct a statewide Great Gray Owl occupancy survey effort. This study builds on MT FWP’s occupancy findings, quantifying the habitat characteristics of Great Gray Owl nest sites in southwest Montana and evaluating a novel method to detect and monitor active nests. Here, I will present findings from the 2025 field season on the efficacy of using ARUs to locate and monitor active nests and determine nest outcomes versus ground-based survey methods, as well as a multi-scale nest site habitat selection analysis with both field-based and remote sensing data. This research aims to develop our understanding of Great Gray Owl nesting ecology and improve our ability to locate, manage, and conserve this elusive species. These findings can directly inform ongoing and future forest management actions to better target surveys before treatments and protect active nests.
A Systematic Literature Review of Social Identity in Wildlife Research
Social identity theory examines how people’s identities are shaped by their affiliations with social groups and, in turn, influence cognitions, emotions, and behaviors. Although social identity in the human dimensions of wildlife likely operates in complex and varying ways, prior research has predominantly focused on differences in attitudes across relatively fixed identity categories. Work in other fields, however, demonstrates that social identities are often fluid and situationally activated, capable of shaping how individuals interpret facts, evaluate their own interests, and engage with others. Depending on context, these processes can inspire in-group solidarity, out-group derogation, and intergroup conflict or cooperation, among other effects. In this study, we conduct a systematic scoping review of the extant empirical literature on social identity theory in wildlife conservation settings. Across 99 refereed articles, our review documents the ways in which, to date, social identity theory has been used to understand human relationships with wildlife. Toward future research, we draw on research from social psychology to highlight promising and underexplored directions for incorporating social identity approaches into future research and conservation practice.
Missing the Point: Consequences of Behavioral Bias in GPS Telemetry Data (Poster)
Telemetry units equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) have transformed our understanding of animal movements and behaviors. However, most analyses that use GPS data assume that acquisition success is independent of animal behavior. This assumption may be violated when body position affects GPS antennae orientation which compromises satellite acquisition, resulting in failed fixes that are behaviorally biased. Accounting for this potential bias may be important to enhance inference of animal movement and resource selection studies. Modern GPS collars often incorporate onboard sensors (e.g., activity) which provide auxiliary data streams that can help infer behavior even when locations are missing. We used telemetry and activity data from GPS collared grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem to integrate behavioral inferences with fix failures. Failed fixes often occurred during periods of low activity, likely when bears rested in positions that compromised satellite communication. We used a two-stage hidden Markov and state-space modeling framework to interpolate these resting locations and assess how estimating locations of failed GPS fixes propagates through analyses that rely on location data, including movement metrics, behavioral classifications, and resource selection. Characterizing how GPS acquisition failures relate to animal behavior helps reduce the risk of conflating artifacts of data collection with biological patterns, enhancing inference and improving conservation decisions.
Land Use Changes and Temporal Variation in Juvenile Sex Ratios of Three North American Mid-Continent Dabbling Duck Populations
Sex ratios are often an overlooked, yet influential component of population structure. Over time, changes in sex ratios can inform potential environmental factors that affect sex-specific survival through different life stages. Long-term analyses of sex ratio and land-use changes are rare in the avian community. However, recent analyses estimate the sex ratio of adult North American midcontinent mallards as approaching three males per one female in the fall. Adult sex ratios can be driven by sex ratios at hatch, and sex-specific survival during development. We analyzed long term (1974-2024) data on three species of dabbling ducks in the North American mid-continent to estimate juvenile sex ratios and the effects of acres of crop and the number of ponds on the landscape. All three species indicated an increasing trend in the proportion of the juvenile population that is female at time of banding. We observed evidence for a positive effect of acres of crops, and number of ponds in all three species, where the proportion female increased with increased crop acreage and pond counts. Juvenile sex ratios are not extreme enough to explain the recent marked increase in adult ratios, and we posit that differences in sex specific survival in adults could be driving the observed adult sex ratio skews.
More Tines, More Breaks: Antler Failure Patterns in Western Montana Cervids
Weapon failure can drastically reduce an individual’s lifetime reproductive success as many species cannot repair or regenerate damaged traits. Yet among cervids (i.e. deer), antler failure may only reflect seasonal fitness because males are capable of seasonal regenerative. Antler failure could indicate nutritional or environmental stress but could also reflect species-level differences in weapon investment such as strong combat tools or flashy signals. In this study, we tested the predictability of male age, harvest location, antler point maximum and symmetry on antler failure presence in Rocky Mountain elk (Cervus canadensis), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) over two harvest seasons (2024-25) in western Montana. We found elk experience greater antler failure than either deer species, asymmetrical antlers failed more often, and males with more antler points were significantly more likely to experience breakage. We found failure rates differed among harvest locations with greater failures rates near districts experiencing a recent decline in mature bulls (over 6 antler points). Our results suggest weapon investment as durable tools differ among cervids, possibly reflecting greater investment in larger signals among bull elk. Given that harvest-induced demographic shifts may alter mating competition and structural investment in antlers, monitoring antler quality provides a novel approach for understanding cervid population health and behavior.
Variation in Habitat Use of Fauna in Relation to Beaver Dams and Water Availability in Small Prairie Streams in Montana (Poster)
Human activities and climate change continue to impact wildlife and ecosystem integrity in eastern Montana. In the state’s semi-arid prairie ecosystems, the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) may play an important role in buffering against drought. By impounding water, beaver dams can increase the resilience of water-limited ecosystems and promote species richness for both aquatic and terrestrial species. However, there is still limited understanding regarding the influence of beaver dams on species richness and composition in these semi-arid, prairie ecosystems. Through a camera-trap study, we sought to examine how wildlife species richness and composition in eastern Montana is associated with changes in water availability during the summer. We used 48 cameras that recorded nightly wildlife activity across beaver-dammed and unimpounded sites on four small, prairie streams (7 PM to 7 AM, June through September 2025). Presence or absence of water was determined from photos, which showed drying events occurred at both beaver-dammed and unimpounded sites. To date we have identified 14 mammal species and 5 groups of bird species, including waterfowl and songbirds. For our next steps, we will examine how beaver influences species richness and composition associated with prairie streams. This project will provide useful insights into how wildlife use beaver-dammed and undammed sections of small streams as well as how that use changes throughout the summer in response to changing water conditions in eastern Montana prairies.
Integrating UAS Thermal Imagery into Sharp-Tailed Grouse Nest and Brood Monitoring (Poster)
Prairie grouse management requires accurate vital rates, but traditional methods for assessing nest and brood success, relying upon ground-based telemetry of radio-marked hens, are cost and time intensive. We explored unmanned aerial systems (UAS, hereafter “drones”) paired with thermal imagery as an alternative or complementary tool to conventional techniques. Our objectives were to evaluate performance of drones and thermal imagery in detecting sharp-tailed grouse nests, to identify mechanisms that modulate detection, and to assess the utility of drones for monitoring broods. We captured 60 female sharp-tailed grouse at 9 leks in Phillips County, Montana, fitted them with VHF and GPS collars, and monitored nesting attempts. During June–August 2025, we conducted drone flights over 17 active nests and 7 broods, collecting thermal imagery and video footage. To identify factors influencing nest detection, we recorded nest site vegetation characteristics, height of flight, time of flight, and temperature. Volunteers reviewed thermal media, and we recorded their responses to measure nest detection and brood counts. Reviewers correctly identified the presence of a nesting grouse in 58% of trials and incorrectly concluded that a grouse was present in 20% of trials. In 60% of trials, reviewers indicated a grouse was absent, suggesting reviewers were more likely to conclude absence than presence. We will present results regarding nest detection performance, mechanisms of detection, and the comparison of telemetry-based and drone-based brood counts to provide guidance concerning drone integration into prairie grouse monitoring.
Montana Natural Heritage Program Information Products (Poster)
The data system at the Montana Natural Heritage Program (MTNHP) contains information on over 18,100 different species and habitats that occur in Montana and the data system’s 6.1 million plus observations, 515,000 plus structured surveys, predicted habitat suitability models for over 2,300 species, and occurrence polygons for Species of Concern are used by over 1,800 natural resource professionals across the state to inform a wide variety of planning efforts, management actions, and permitting processes. Recently MTNHP has created and updated several key tools and products to support its core mission. Our new website is greatly simplified and mobile friendly. New conservation status rank summaries and reports are available in accounts on the Montana Field Guide for all vertebrates and ecological communities and selected invertebrates and plants. New stewardship responsibility metrics summarize the federal, state, local, private/tribal, and conservation lands/ easements responsibility for management of predicted suitable habitat for species in both accounts on the Montana Field Guide and in the Single Species Overview task of our Map Viewer web application. New dashboards summarize information on native species and habitats, the distribution of non-native species in Montana and adjacent to the state’s borders, and provide tools for beaver restoration, sustainable forestry initiative certification, and grazing. Finally, we have clarified and streamlined methods for data submission and provide resources for citizen scientists and professional biologists and resource managers to contribute data to the MTNHP via iNaturalist.
Does Computer Vision Reliably Process Camera Trap Images in Multispecies Systems?
Camera trap surveys are a useful tool to monitor wildlife populations and collect data to estimate various metrics, including population size. Camera surveys can generate large number of photos across various animal groups, but the time and effort it takes for researchers to process these datasets present a significant barrier to camera-based wildlife research. Artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged as a way to drastically speed up data processing time. However, any limitations to AI’s ability to accurately label images might have consequences for estimating population size. In this study, we compare species classification done by AI to a manual review. We use computer vision incorporated into Wildlife Insights to label camera trap images from species with morphological similarities in northwest Montana. The findings of this study help us determine if we can rely on available computer vision tools to classify images, and then use these data to reliably estimate population size.
Large-Scale Camera-Based Monitoring for Ungulates in Northwestern Montana
Traditional aerial surveys cannot reliably count deer and elk populations in areas with dense forest canopy cover. This information gap hampers the ability of agencies to assess population status, set evidence-based hunting seasons, and evaluate management outcomes. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) and the University of Montana are collaborating on a 5-year (2023–2028) research project to evaluate remote camera-based monitoring methodologies for northwestern Montana management units. Although camera traps offer a promising alternative to aerial surveys, robust population estimates still depend on meeting key assumptions about animal classification, quantification, and behavior. Challenges related to accurate viewshed estimation, as well as logistical constraints such as access and cost, further motivate a focused evaluation of methods and sampling designs. This project will develop, evaluate, and refine camera-trap protocols to: 1) estimate populations and spring recruitment, 2) evaluate sampling designs to reduce field costs, compare viewshed quantification techniques, and assess how animal behavior affects density estimates, and 3) determine how ungulate distributions change seasonally and respond to forest disturbance, predators, and hunting pressure. Data collection began in summer 2024 and will continue into summer 2026. This work is intended to provide critical population monitoring tools to improve elk and deer management across northwestern Montana. Project objectives, methods, and progress will be discussed.
The Ownership Distribution of Private Land/Habitat in MT and Changes From 2024-2023
In the United States, most wildlife habitat is privately owned, creating challenges for the management of species held in the public trust. In this context, the rights and objectives of private landowners may conflict with those of wildlife beneficiaries. Although recent research has increasingly incorporated private landownership into various analyses, broad-scale evaluations have been limited by restricted access to ownership data and a lack of analytical tools. In this study, we introduce new methods for processing and analyzing cadastral datasets and apply them to examine patterns and changes in private landownership across Montana from 2004 to 2023. Our analysis reveals a high concentration of landownership among a few owners with very large properties juxtaposed to parcelization of medium-sized properties into smaller parcels and a corresponding increase in the number of private owners in these size classes. Ownership has increasingly shifted toward legal entities (e.g., LLCs) away from individuals or families. We review these trends and discuss the implications for conservation and management of wildlife held in the public trust.
We’re Not As Divided As We Think We Are - Social Identity Effects on Attitudes Toward Wolves
Polarization among social groups can threaten the long-term success of conservation efforts. When group identities (defined as aspects of self-concept tied to group membership) are made salient, perceived divisions can intensify, particularly when individuals misjudge the beliefs of others. Despite its importance, the fluid nature of identity and its variable effects on conservation attitudes and outcomes remain understudied. To address this gap, we conducted two randomized controlled experiments with residents of U.S. states where wolves are present (n = 2,296). In Study 1, activating political identity significantly affected attitudes toward gray wolves (Canis lupus) and amplified differences between groups. In Study 2, providing a straightforward correction to in-group metaperceptions mitigated these effects by reducing perceived polarization and constraining the influence of identity fusion. In an unrelated third Study of Montana hunters and landowners, we show how even subtle identity cues (e.g., in survey recruitment material) can similarly influence self-reported attitudes toward wildlife. Together, these findings highlight opportunities for conservation policymakers and practitioners to avoid unnecessarily triggering identities commonly linked to conflict and to challenge misleading narratives that overstate social divisions. Addressing inaccurate metaperceptions and incorporating identity-aware communication approaches may strengthen public support for wildlife conservation initiatives while minimizing preventable conflict.