MPG Ranch Newsletter Issue VI

By midsummer, the landscape is a flurry of fledglings and first steps. Most songbird chicks have already launched from their nests, their wings catching warm air in clumsy bursts. Young white-tailed deer now bound effortlessly beside their mothers, lean muscle rippling beneath tawny coats. Ground squirrel pups, once tiny and unsure, now vanish into burrows at the slightest hint of danger.

Rain, however, continues to play coy. The hillsides, starved of moisture, have browned and crisped with alarming speed. Wildflowers and grasses, usually vibrant well into July, have hurried through their bloom and gone to seed, or simply tucked away their energy for another year. But the higher elevation huckleberry bushes, undeterred by drought, remain heavy with fruit. Their dark, sweet berries promise a feast for bears and birds alike, a small abundance amid the growing scarcity.

The Montana Conservation Corps kicked off their field season on the ranch, bringing energy, curiosity, and a strong work ethic. Early on, they teamed up with our staff for hands-on training, learning how to safely fell conifers and deliver herbicide to our most tenacious invaders.

Their greatest accomplishment? Removing over 3,000 Douglas-fir trees from critical elk winter range, a strategic effort to make room for the grasses and shrubs elk depend on during the harsh winter months. Out on the prairies, they took the fight to invasive species like leafy spurge and knapweed, helping restore balance to these critical habitats. Their work made a real impact, and we’re already looking forward to welcoming them back next year.

This spring’s dry spell tipped the scales in favor of noxious weeds. Leafy spurge surged ahead, prompting our herbicide applicators to call in reinforcements from WMA Specialists. During their full-scale offensive, they made a troubling discovery: Rush Skeletonweed

This wiry, deep-rooted plant is notoriously hard to control once established. If it does gain a foothold, eradication could be nearly impossible. Our crews are now shifting gears, scanning hillsides, ridgelines, and prairies to stamp out every trace of this newcomer before it spreads.

A Portable Structure for Identifying Wolverines and Canada Lynx using Integrated Cameras and Hair Snags 

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