11/1/2018 0 Comments Day 5: Winter and Wolves...
Juliana comes into my room and wakes me up.
I roll around in my bed. I am cold and perhaps a little grumpy. But we move on up. I am sitting in the car. My phone says 6:15 AM. It is as cold as a Bison's guards hair. "Lately/I been thinking/I want you to be happier/I want you too be happier/UH!" White Snookie-White Snow. Snow flurries sparkle in the air, shining in the muted overcast. Cloudy with a chance of WOLVES. Visibility drops. Stav approaches rapidly, an unpredictable and crazed look in his eyes. The HUNT. His arm wraps around my neck. I am on the ground. A hand smashes into my face. A huge chunk of snow is wadded between by eyelid and my glasses. Violation of fair chase hunting. Bianca versus Snookie; Bianca triumphs. Wolves? No, a raven... NO! a coyote (pronounced KAH-yote, rhymes with dust mote). Moose? No, another coyote. We slip and slide and push Snookie through the Lamar and a few inches of fresh snow. Still no wolves. Where did Slick-Rick go?
Any action?
Sure. Any wildlife? Yeah. Any wolves? Two down here, seven or eight a few minutes west. Gas, doors, scope, focus: FUR. MOVEMENT. LOPING UPHILL. Gray dots in the distance.
Wolves.
I am hearing Sam Smith... too much Sam Smith.
Bison management with the Forest Service takes us to Beatty Gulch and Stephens Creek.
Exclosures. Enclosures. A road out.
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10/31/2018 0 Comments Day 4: Things Get HotOur day began auspiciously with a 5 am start. We shuffled around in the pitch dark to pull on our layers and eat our cereal and piled ourselves, our spotting equipment, and approximately 42 layers each into our beloved mini vans for the journey to the Lamar Valley to look for wolves. The vans, known to us as “Snooki” and “Bianca,” had very divergent journeys throughout the morning. Before the had even risen over the sleepy, snowy mountains, Bianca had taken a few wrong turns and ended up winding through the mountains on a 30 mile detour. Eyewitnesses from the van claimed that they had the best views from the entire trip (see photos). Meanwhile, down in the (actual) Lamar Valley, Snooki was encountering the unique sub-communities of park wolf watchers. They reconnected with Rick Lamplugh of the Bear Creek Council (#smallworld), who pointed out to them a famous wolf watcher, Rick McIntyre. Rick McIntyre is known for having set eyes on a wolf in the park every day since the reintroduction. He’s pretty into it. Once the vans finally managed to reunite (more difficult than you would think considering that there was no service to be had), McIntyre took us under his wing. We met up with a biologist from the Yellowstone Wolf Project, Lizzie Cato, who was tracking a pack of radio-collared wolves. Although we didn’t end up seeing wolves, we had the pleasure of chatting with Lizzie about wolf ecology, her professional trajectory, and the viral video “How Wolves Change Rivers.” She didn’t seem to hold the video in high regard and said that it was an oversimplification of the complex dynamics of wolf ecology. We also got a chance to try out the spotting scope that the EEB department so generously lent us. We saw “tiny brown dots,” to borrow a phrase of Stav ‘22, which we were told were grizzly bears lumbering down the hill. Our stint with the professional wolf watchers put us into contact with more people who have, in effect, devoted their lives to the study of wolves. The tireless work of people like Rick and Lizzie to track and observe the wolves is added into a behavioral database which other researchers can use to draw conclusions about pack structure and carnivore behavior and is foundational to many ecological discoveries. After prime wolf watching hour had passed, we explored some more of the sights (and smells--by which we mean sulfur) of Northern Yellowstone. We saw the Calcite Springs and walked down by the Yellowstone River near Tower Falls. The park was so beautiful that we lost track of time, leaving only 10 minutes to eat before meeting with Dr. Doug Smith, head of the Yellowstone Wolf Project. Despite the 30 degree weather, the visitor centre proclaimed “no food allowed” and so we dined adventurously, our cooler lids and plastic wrappers escaping in the wind as we ate experimental wrap / sandwich creations seasoned by snow. It was very cold. Sadly one of us missed lunch completely, due to being in the toilet. We were relieved to finally reach the offices and excited meet with Doug Smith, who is truly a celebrity in the field. Doug appeared in the flesh!!! A wise looking man with a regal moustache, he spoke with conviction, gesticulating emphatically, and fielded our questions with insight and attentiveness. He was an amazing communicator and clear thinker who discussed issues with nuance and sensitivity. Moreover, he was cognisant of the premises and value-judgements inherent in his views, and thus able to articulate the views of others. As with many of our community partners, Doug was at first curious about the nature of our trip and the demographic of its participants - he was surprised there was only one EEB major among us, which I suppose is a cool testament to the diversity of interests. We began the discussion with the ecological impact of wolves - trophic cascade that has caused the resurgence of park flora and fauna. Doug argued that the wolves were indeed important but not the only reason for this surge in diversity - the rises in the population of other predators like cougars and grizzlies had similar regulatory effects on the prey bison and elk, contributing to the same top-down effect. In the same vein, Doug highlighted that wolves have been scapegoated for hazards posed to livestock and the diminishing game population, upon which ranchers and outfitters respectively depend for their businesses. Other predators are also responsible. Like many other stakeholders we've spoken to, Doug notes that wolf issues are highly emotionally charged. They are both subjects of vitriol, sometimes passed down through the generations, and public infatuation. Throughout the trip, a recurring motif has been the opposing ideas of preservation and conservation. The former is leaving nature to self-regulate, possibly going through unstable oscillations in populations, while the latter advocates population control, perhaps through hunting or government culling. Doug favours at least the existence of sanctuary zones like Yellowstone National Park, which functions mostly off a preservation model, especially as such areas are diminishing. Unlike some other partners we spoke to, he seems confident that ecosystems will flourish and remain "balanced" under such laissez-faire circumstances. However, Doug also admits that a pragmatic, socially viable model would involve conservationist population control elements, easing community relations with affected ranchers who have enormous lobbying power and political presence in Montana. Interestingly, Doug self-identifies as a recreational hunter, though he only hunts elk and deer, whose population densities require regulation. Humans are one such regulating predator. However, he is emotionally incapable of hunting wolves, having long worked with and observed the animosity towards them. For Doug, the moral questions surrounding hunting constitute a different discussion, but he feels there is something primal and natural about human predatory instincts. The value framework that privileges conservation, the role of humans in nature or as custodians of nature, and the ethics of hunting activities are fascinating questions I'd like to pursue further. Our minds were satiated by this GREAT conversation but we didn't have enough of Yellowstone's fragrant sulphur pools, so we drove to the Mammoth Hot Springs and walked around the “geothermal features,” to borrow a phrase of illustrious leader Benjy ‘19. Delving deeply into each other’s psyches, we discovered that Benjy identifies most as a “bulbous and smooth” geothermal feature. Conversely, Stav was a geyser. (guy-ser? Thanks Juliana.) These hot springs were aesthetic, grand, and geologically fascinating. The variety of rock colours and shapes was amazing, as were the curious, terraced pool structures that had formed over time. Our last stop to unwind after a long day was the “Boiling River,” where we immersed ourselves in nature’s hot tub. The frigid waters of the Gardner (we didn’t misspell this, we promise) River meet the steamy 140ºF of the Boiling River and mix into a delightfully warm and only slightly sulfur-y swimming experience. We indulged in the luxurious spa waters while snow fell around us, taking in the breathtaking views of mountains enshrined in mist. There was even a serendipitous encounter with a group of bathers who were currently working in the park on wolf research. Once home, we enjoyed the culinary stylings of Kwan ‘22 and Daniel ‘22, who made Thai omelets and stir fry. Kasey ‘21 added his special oreo ball recipe to the mix. At press time, the authors of this post had eaten an embarrassing amount of those. We are excited to wake up early again tomorrow for our last day in Montana! 10/30/2018 0 Comments Conversations in the ColdOn our first full day in Gardiner, Montana, a charming town at the North gate of Yellowstone park we woke to a beautiful view of the sun rising over the mountains of Yellowstone and a wolf howl. After a quick breakfast of pancakes, courtesy of Benji and Casey, we headed out to Tom Miner Basin to meet with Matt Cunningham, the ranch manager of the Anderson ranch.
The wolf reintroduction has caused financial losses to the Anderson ranch because the wolves occasionally kill cattle, the wolves scatter the herd making it less likely that cows will get pregnant, and it is costly to protect the cattle from wolves. The Anderson ranch employs a variety of nonlethal and lethal techniques to protect their cattle from wolves. When there are many wolves in the area staff will guard the herd from horseback all night, attempting to keep the herd together. During calving season, they will coral the cattle within an electric fence to protect the vulnerable newborn calves. And, if the ranchers see a wolf chasing their cattle, they will attempt to kill it. Despite all the problems wolves cause him, Matt feels that the wolves belong on the landscape. As long as ranchers can protect their cattle, removing wolves that habitually prey on cattle and teaching other wolves not to, he feels that wolves and ranchers can coexist. Matt expressed frustration with government officials who promised that wolf population control via hunting would be allowed once the wolves recovered to a sustainable population, but then allowed the wolf population to soar past the initial recovery target without communicating with local ranchers. Additionally, getting the compensation promised to ranchers who lose cattle to wolves and grizzlies has been difficult for the Anderson ranch. Matt also takes issue with newspapers that have interviewed him and skewed his responses to portray him in way that suits their story rather than in a way that remains true to reality. At Matt’s recommendation, we traveled further into Tom Miner basin to look around. Amid light flurries of snow, we drove along a bumpy dirt road, stopping every three feet to take pictures and gaze in awe at the scenery. We saw herds of cows and elk grazing around the valley but did not see the wolves that Matt told us he had spotted earlier that morning. Cold but excited, we returned to Gardiner to meet with the Bear Creek Council, a volunteer organization of locals dedicated to protecting the environment and their community. We discussed the ethicality of hunting, what constitutes a “fair hunt”, and what species a fair hunt is possible for. Views differed somewhat among the group, but all found hunting acceptable under some circumstances, depending on many things including whether the animal would be used for food or a trophy, whether or not the animal knew it was being hunted, and the suffering of the animal before they die. They were against the hunting of wolves, except possibly in the case of letting ranchers protect their cattle. We also learned about the thriving ecotourism industry based in Gardiner that relies on abundant wildlife populations. The Bear Creek Council felt that wolf hunting threatened that growing industry both because it makes wolves less visible and because tourists don’t like to hear about a wolf being shot. The Bear Creek Council urged us to consider the fact that while we can seek out human voices on all sides of the wolf debate, we cannot hear from the wolves themselves. After relaxing for a couple of hours with some much-needed hot chocolate, Stav and Shiye cooked us a wonderful curry for dinner. Lastly, we walked just a short way from our VRBO to meet with Jim Halfpenny, a wildlife educator and tracking expert. Jim graciously showed us around his extensive collection of plaster casts of tracks, antlers, horns, and bones, which he has been working on since he was a boy. He regaled us with stories of how he identifies tracks of different animals, sometimes for people who want to know what is eating their rosebushes or think they’ve found Bigfoot, sometimes to prove the presence of an endangered species in an area so they can be protected. When asked about his perspective on the wolf reintroduction, Jim encouraged us to “love the species not the individual” and discussed how delisting, which can lead to hunting, is a necessary part of the endangered species act and maintaining public support for it. We learned about how hunting wolves became a divisive issue within the conservation community. Hearing from all the diverse voices we have so far, we were struck by how much different stakeholders agree on (though certainly not everything). It is an encouraging thought that compromise is possible, and people are willing to work with those with differing views. -Wolf Pack (Kelly and Kwan) 10/29/2018 0 Comments Coyotes, Wolves, and Bears, Oh My!Hey folks, This is Daniel ’22 and Hannah ’22 from the Wolves of Montana trip! Today we jumped right in to our discussion of wolves with three different community partners. At 9:30, we left our friendly hostel and drove to meet with Julie Cunningham and Abby Nelson from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the organization in charge of managing wildlife in Montana. Julie taught us about the North American model of wildlife conservation, which is built on the idea that wildlife is a public resource and held in the public trust, wildlife is killed for reason, management is based on science, and hunting will be done with democratic principles. This model has evolved from the days when wildlife was killed with no thought of the ecological effects this killing had. It was not until Theodore Roosevelt and the first major environmental movement that people realized that unregulated hunting would be unsustainable, and so they began to advocate conservation of these resources. Abby had a lot to say about the specifics of wolf management in Montana. As the wolves were reintroduced under the Endangered Species Act, they were initially managed by the US Fish and Wildlife service, and no hunting was allowed. However, when it was confirmed that wolf populations were well above the initial goals of the program, they were delisted and hunting seasons were opened. Her research involved studying the population through techniques including helicopter tracking and radio collaring to create a model to adequately assess the populations. Currently, about 250 wolves are hunted legally a year in Montana in a population of ~700. We learned that central to the management of all wildlife is the idea that wildlife is managed to the social, not ecological, carrying capacity. In the case of wolves, having this hunting season has created fewer conflicts with humans, while keeping populations at sustainable levels. From there, we hurried to the American Prairie Reserve office. They are a private non-profit organization devoted to creating a large (3 million acre) wildlife reserve in central Montana. They hope to restore the native processes of the prairie by reintroducing a bison herd that has the ability to roam freely and be key engineers of the ecosystem, allowing a large diversity of species to thrive. We met with a post-doctoral researcher, Hila Shamoon, who researches mammals in these ecosystems to figure out how to model this ecosystem to restore it. After leaving the Prairie Reserve, we enjoyed some delicious sandwiches and wraps in the cold of a Bozeman Park. We enjoyed a stunning view of the snow-covered Bridger Mountains before leaving to our final meeting with Rob Arnaud of the Montana Hunting Company. Rob emphasized the role that hunters have had in promoting conservation in the United States. He noted that since humans always have a role in ecosystems, they should manage them for stability of wildlife populations. He believes that wolves have a right to be in the area, but they also must be considered as equals to other animals and should be able to be managed and hunted like any other species. Hunting is a key tool to be able to achieve this goal. We then drove down the beautiful Paradise Valley to our VRBO in Gardiner, MT. As we entered the driveway, we were surprised to see a pair of elk munching on some leaves directly in front the house. Although they gave us some funny looks, they continued to do their thing while we unpacked and explored our home for the next few days. Kelly and Emma cooked us some yummy Ramen, and we enjoyed a nice meal together, talking about everything from glaciers to burial philosophy to tectonic plates. Anyways, we’re signing off until tomorrow, but this was a wonderful way to begin to learn about this complex issue! Best, The Wolfpack 10/28/2018 0 Comments Hello, Bozeman.As the fall break of 2018 began, Princeton’s campus fell into a state of glorious serenity. However, in the early, early morning of October 28th, while most students were enjoying life at home or sleeping in, the 10 of us participating in the PACE The Return of the Wolves to the Rockies group were lugging our belongings to the Woodrow Wilson building so they could catch their ride, and subsequent 8am flight, which would eventually leave us in Bozeman, Montana. When we were flying over Montana, the most distinguishing feature was the brilliant mountains lining the horizon. Kasey Bowyer, a sophomore in our group, pointed out how beautiful the scenery was, causing me, Emma, to take this picture: The flight was fine but what really made it become a trip memory was the enthusiastic cry of a fellow passenger upon our successful touchdown, “Yeah! We just landed.” This gusto shared by a stranger conjured up the excitement in all of us as well and left our group anticipating the next chapter of our adventure. Shortly after our landing, we made our way to the Treasure State Hostel: a welcoming community in the center of downtown Bozeman. Besides the delicious, random free food that awaits around dinner time, a friendly dog named Five is probably the most amazing thing about this hostel. The place is almost like a college, where a tv room at the front of the hostel is a sort of gathering place to mingle and chat and watch Baseball games with people from all around the world. After a few hours, we had become authentic, Montanian “hostellers.” Following those few hours, our group walked briskly over to a bar to meet with gracious and distinguished Princeton alum John Heminway (class of ‘66). John shared his experiences traveling the world and contributing to global conversations and movements about environmental protection, specifically in regards to ivory trade in Africa and Asia. John has been teaching at Mountain State University in Bozeman for roughly 14 years and has created a relationship with Yellowstone and many of its officials in that time. Keeping true to Princeton alumni fashion, John gave us valuable recommendations and helped us prepare for the trip ahead. He went out of his way to answer our questions, share insight, and ensure we had people to contact throughout the trip. After this delightful meeting, we, the newly dubbed “hostellers”, have officially completed a successful first day on the Wolves of Montana trip. |
The Wolf PackHannah Reynolds, '22 Archives |