Winter recreation in Montana takes so many forms that the simplest, a walk, is often overlooked.
Tim Thier, a Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologist who helps conduct the state’s annual winter furbearer tracking surveys, has a collection of memorable experiences from his time outdoors tracking and observing wildlife
"Just last week in the Ten Lakes Scenic Area, I noticed where a wolverine was checking out road signs," Thier said. "He’d go off the groomed snowmobile trail over to each sign. You had to ask yourself what the attraction was." Thier thinks other predators were scent marking the sign posts and this wolverine was "reading the mail."
Thier said spotting and identifying a wild animal’s tracks can be as much fun as seeing the animal itself. In fact, its tracks may tell a story about were it came from, where it is going and why.
Good illustrated guides to identifying the tracks, signs and habits of wildlife run $10 to $20 and are available at most outdoor stores. A tracker’s guide will explain how to identify tracks and other wildlife signs including scat, tree rubs, runs, tunnels, dens, beds, and other signs of where animals have eaten or played.
"Some weasels in particular do goofy things," Thier said. "Based on their tracks, I’ve seen weasels, totally oblivious to predators, out in the open running in loops, wasting all kinds of energy for no apparent reason."
In another case, Thier saw tracks where a lynx came up from a creek bottom onto a road just to check out a little piece of survey tape that was blowing in the wind.
"Whether you actually catch the animal in the act, or identify the tracks and figure out the story behind them, it is always a learning experience you remember," he said.
The secret to these kinds of experiences is time and patience.
One method used by FWP trackers is to follow a track or back track the unknown critter to find a place where the track can be identified.
Even relatively urban landscapes generally offer the tracks of birds, fox, coyotes, squirrels, rabbits and other mammals to study, Thier said. Many species that benefit from the Nongame Tax Check-off on the Montana income tax form, including birds, are also enjoyable species to track in the outdoors.
"It is like fitting puzzle pieces together. It is challenging and fun to use your observation skills to identify the wild animals in an area and learn about how they make use of the landscape," he said.
To learn about the characteristics and preferred habitats of Montana’s wildlife by visiting Montana Fish, Wildlife & Park’s online field guide on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov under Online Services.
Be sure to be aware of private land and watch for signs and fence lines to avoid trespassing.
Always observe Montana’s wildlife at a respectful and safe distance. For ways to view wildlife without startling them or dangerously sapping their winter energy, go to fwp.mt.gov on the Wild Things page and click on Living With Wildlife, Wildlife Tips, and then Wildlife Watching Tips.
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