Whatdunit? Research scientists conduct studies to gather vital information biologists need to better manage Montana’s wildlife. By Tom Dickson
22 | MONTANA OUTDOORS | NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2022
LEFT TO RIGHT: TOM DICKSON/MONTANA OUTDOORS; BRETT SWAIN
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tanding on a railroad track along the that help populations grow (or shrink in morning squinting up at the rocky cliff about Big Hole River near Melrose, Vanna cases of overabundance). a quarter-mile away. Boccadori scans the distant lime“If we don’t know what’s causing a The sharp-eyed biologists soon spot six stone bluffs, searching for a group of problem, we can’t solve it. That’s where the ewes and six lambs. Proffitt says the females bighorn sheep that lives in these Pioneer research component comes in,” says Brian are extra skittish this time of year because the Mountain foothills. For years, the Butte- Wakeling, who previously worked for Ari- lambs, just a few weeks old, are especially vulbased Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks zona and Nevada state wildlife agencies nerable to mountain lions and golden eagles. wildlife biologist has been unable to figure and now oversees the FWP Game Manage- Sensing three gawking humans, even at 400 out why the lambs in this and four other ment Bureau. yards, the family group begins running away. local subherds keep dying. As essential as it is, most Montanans are Boccadori hands me her binoculars, and “This was one of the biggest herds in Mon- unaware of how wildlife research works to I watch the ewes scramble up the steep cliff, tana, with some of the world’s largest rams,” benefit the state’s elk, deer, grizzly bears, their lambs struggling to keep up. Suddenly she says. “Now it’s just a fraction of that.” pronghorn, waterfowl, and other wildlife. one lamb slips and tumbles about 20 feet Boccadori is here on this mid-June morn- I certainly didn’t, and I’ve worked for the down the rock face, its landing obscured by ing with Dr. Kelly Proffitt, FWP wildlife re- department for years. Which is why I’m out a clump of wild mahogany. We stare up at the search scientist based in Bozeman. Proffitt is with Boccadori and Proffitt on this chilly bluff and wait, fearing the worst. running a new FWP study—with financial support from the Wild “Co-production” Sheep Foundation and its MonIf the job of police detectives is to tana affiliate—aimed at learning figure out “whodunit,” wildlife what kills the lambs. The goal is research biologists aim to learn to help Boccadori decide the best “whatdunit.” What’s causing a way to recover the struggling mountain goat herd to die out? Highland herd, as the five subWhat’s impeding mule deer herds combined are known. migrations? What’s causing The study is typical of the waterfowl disease transmission? roughly three dozen wildlife re“Without our research crews, search projects FWP coordiwe’d really struggle to answer the nates each year. Biologists need many questions the public has to know certain essential things about Montana’s wildlife,” says about wildlife species, such as Neil Anderson, regional wildlife habitat requirements, migration manager based in Kalispell. routes, and predation rates. This In fact, obtaining scientific SEARCHING FOR CLUES FWP wildlife research scientist Dr. Kelly Proffitt allows them to make manageinformation is why, beginning (left) and Butte-area wildlife biologist Vanna Boccadori monitor a strugment decisions (often involving gling subherd of bighorn sheep in the foothills of the Pioneer Mountains. in the late 1930s, Montanans hunting season adjustments) insisted that what was then
WHAT CAN BE DONE? Wild sheep lambs in several herds across western Montana are dying before they can reach one year old. A new study of the Highland herd southwest of Butte may reveal the causes and help wildlife managers figure out the best way to stem population declines. MONTANA OUTDOORS | NOVEMBER–DECEMBER 2022 | 23