If you are considering an elk hunt, you should already be aware of the fact that this is not something that you should undertake lightly. Elk hunting is not comparable to hunting things like whitetail deer for example. If you are on an elk hunt, you will be hunting under some fairly strenuous situations, and you want to be sure that whenever you sight your prey, you will not be so exhausted that you can’t sight your rifle! Elk hunting is not a sport for those who are not physically in shape, and if you have an interest in hunting game this large, you should be aware of the need for fitness and working towards this goal well in advance of your hunt. Many hunters condition themselves all year round for an elk hunt and all of them are glad that, when the time comes, that they are in such good shape.

One of the prime reasons that such a degree of health is necessary when it comes to elk hunting is that the territory where elk range is so different from that where the elk hunters live. Elk live at fairly high altitudes and because of this, the air is significantly thinner where the elk roam. A hunter who comes and does not anticipate this fact will soon fall behind or even suffer from stress to his lungs and his body when he tries to adjust. When you are looking for a way to get in shape regarding your elk hunting this is something to keep in mind.

Another thing that you need to consider is the fact that elk roam a great deal more than deer do, and to get an elk , you should be prepared to walk quite a ways. While some elk hunts almost miraculously end just a few hours away from the lodge, others will last for weeks. You need to be prepared for the fact that the elk will not come to you; you need to walk to find them. The endurance that is necessary to trudge through miles and miles of mountain trails and get through the underbrush is one of the things that make elk hunting the physical challenge that it is.

When you are conditioning for your hunt, remember that above anything else that you do, you need keep your workout regimen varied. If you do the same exercises day after day, you’ll find that after a surprisingly short amount of time, you will get used to it. More important than the feeling that you have gotten stronger however, is the fact that you have plateaued. Some people do twenty mile bike rides to prepare, while others make running triathlons part of their conditioning. While consulting with other hunters is the best way to get started, remember that you are the one who knows your body the best and that you are the one who can figure out what works best.

Make sure that your first elk hunt isn’t your last. Get in shape and make sure that if necessary you can go as long as it takes to bag that trophy.

The most visited place in Montana, Glacier National Park is a crown jewel in America’s National Park System. The park derived its name from the more than 50 perennial ice fields within its 1600 square miles of pristine wilderness that spans the Continental Divide. The park has over 200 alpine lakes, 700 miles of maintained hiking trails and almost 1000 miles of creeks, rivers and waterfalls.

Mystical, primal forests, rugged majestic mountains and wildflower blanketed alpine meadows are all part of one of the largest, bio-diverse and intact ecosystems to be found in the lower 48 states. In 1979, the United Nations designated Waterton – Glacier International Peace Park as the world’s first International Biosphere Reserve. Further honors were bestowed upon the park in 1995 when UNESCO honored the park’s international significance by designating it a World Heritage Site.

For over 20,000 years glaciers have crafted and carved this majestic landscape. A glacier is a slowly moving mass of snow and ice formed when more snow falls each winter than melts in the following summer. The heavy snowfall accumulates and the weight creates pressure and forms the lower layers into solid ice. The bottom layer is flexible, allowing the glacier to progress. As glaciers move they pick up boulders, rocks and gravel which sculpts and scrapes the land it travels across. Over thousands of years, glacial movement forged the magnificent sharp mountain peaks, deep valleys and lakes that make up the extraordinary landscape of the park.

The dense forests of this vast pristine ecosystem are inhabited by more than 70 species of mammals including grizzly bears, wolves, cougars, big horn sheep, mountain goats, elk, deer, moose, beavers and wolverine. More than 260 species of birds ride the winds.

Exquisite wildflowers flourish in alpine meadows and prairie grasslands; over 1400 species of wildflowers bloom in the park. 28 of these are varieties that are found nowhere else but within Glacier National Park. Icy, sparkling clear, clean water; in Glacier Park there is water everywhere. Water covers over 2000 acres of the park. Glorious chains of waterfalls, hundreds of lakes and over 550 creeks and rivers. Sacred Dancing Cascades is a series of waterfalls that are favorites of all who visit.

Many people consider the Going-To-The-Sun Road, a spectacular 52 mile stretch of tarmac that divides north and south Glacier National Park, to be one of the most scenic roadways in America. Traversing the park from east to west, the “”Sun Road”" is considered an engineering miracle. The construction of this incredible roadway took over 11 years and tens of thousands of man hours to complete. The final segment of the Going-To-The-Sun Road, over Logan Pass, was finished in 1932 and today is a National Historic Landmark. The road allowed visitors by car to access the park and enjoy areas that previously had taken several days of horseback riding to reach.

Glacier National Park is actually half of the world’s first International Park. In 1932, to honor the friendly relations and neighborly bond between the two countries, the United States and Canada named Glacier and Canada’s adjoining Waterton Lakes National Park the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. The re-naming of the parks also honored the character of this massive wilderness and the cooperation and shared stewardship required to protect and maintain the park system.

Prior to the white man’s invasion of the American West, the Kootenai, Salish and Blackfeet Indian Tribes lived and hunted in this majestic wilderness. The entire region holds great spiritual significance for Native Americans who held its secrets sacred.

When their freedom was shackled and the tribes were forced onto reservations, the Kootenai and Salish were relocated southwest of Glacier. The Blackfeet Reservation adjoins the east side of the park. On Chief Mountain at the northwest boundary of the park, Plains Indian Tribes continue to hold prayer ceremonies and vision quests.

In 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition journeyed within 80 miles of the area that is now Glacier Park. In 1815, a fur trapper for the Hudson Bay Company of Canada, Hugh Monroe, (called “”Rising Wolf’ by the Blackfeet Indians), was the first white man to enter the area. Soon other trappers followed in search of the beaver pelts so much in demand in Europe.

Fueled by the discovery of gold, settlement of the west was expanding. When the Great Northern Railroad completed construction of the railway over Marias Pass in 1891, homesteaders settled into the lush valleys and small towns sprang up.

The United States government, under extreme pressure from settlers and miners, acquired the mountains east of the Continental Divide from the Blackfeet Tribe in 1895. The treasure hunter’s dreams were dashed when they failed to find a bonanza. Although some gold and copper was found, the mining boom only lasted a few brief years. Abandoned mine shafts and tailing piles are still found in several locations within the park.

By the turn of the century, the public started to view and value the land for its incredible, breathtaking beauty. Rather than just judging the land for its potential for financial exploitation, many factions moved to preserve the fragile ecosystem.

Many people, such as George Bird Grinnell, an early explorer of Montana, lobbied for the creation of a national park. The area became a Forest Preserve in 1900, but remained open to homesteading and mining. Grinnell and other dedicated conservationists petitioned for the added protection a national park would offer. In 1910, George Grinnell was delighted when all the hard work paid off. President Taft signed legislation making Glacier the nation’s 10th National Park.

Like glaciers all over the world, the glaciers of Glacier National Park are melting. Inch by inch, warming temperatures are consuming the ice masses. The change is not dramatic unless you compare today’s glaciers with those of 50 years ago. There are almost 100 less glaciers today than there were five decades ago. Scientists predict that if global warming is not curtailed, there may not be a single glacier left by 2030. If you haven’t seen Glacier Park go soon and take the grandchildren, the glaciers of the park may soon be only a memory.

For those of you who have ever hunted elk before, you will understand how smart and difficult elk can be to hunt. It took me 5 years of very hard hunting before I was able to put down my first elk. It was 5 years of frustration, anger, depression and one of the best learning experiences for elk hunting that I have ever had. I came to respect elk more than any other big game animal I have ever hunted. And because of that respect I learned to never underestimate them and learned what I needed to do if I wanted to harvest an elk each and every year.

1. Learn their patterns: I can’t emphasize this enough. Elk are like us in that they love certain places. They have their favorite watering holes, beds, feeding areas, scrapes and just areas to hang out at. I’ve watched the same herd of elk for 7 days straight come out onto the same exact hill every morning to feed and go back to the exact beds after they were finished feeding. And if they were not in that spot than I knew exactly where to look to find them.

2. Plan on hunting hard: When elk sniff any kind of pressure at all they head for the deepest, darkest, thickest, nastiest stuff on the mountain they can find. It still shocks me to find these types of places that they head to when there’s hunting pressure. If you want to harvest any kind of elk whether it’s a spike or a nice 370 bull plan on hiking your feet off or you’ll be sorely disappointed. Elk are famous for being elusive for a reason. The only time you’ll get lucky and they’ll be easier to hunt is during their rut.

3. Be in shape: If you live in the Rockies where most of the elk are then being in shape is a requirement. If you’re not in decent to good shape hunting elk will not be fun. It will be more challenging than you can possibly imagine. I’ve hiked 6 miles in one day through some of the most rugged country you can think of just to have a shot at an elk and then spent all night getting them out. It still amazes how I did that…two different times as a matter of fact! It must have been the adrenaline rush helping me out. I’m not saying this to brag but to let you know how difficult elk hunting can be.

4. Know your equipment: Elk almost never give you an easy shot. You need to be able to take a quick 30 yard shot all the way up to a 500 plus yard shot sometimes. When you see elk it’s usually only a quick glimpse or they’re off in the distance. Either way you need to be prepared for both kinds of shots. Elk are not known to hang out in the open for very long. And elk almost never turn and look back to see what’s chasing them unlike their cousins the mule deer.

5. Know the area you’re hunting well: I can’t stress this enough. If you know the area well that you’re hunting not only will you already have an advantage but your success rate will be much higher than going to a new area you know nothing about. I’m speaking from experience. Anytime I try and hunt a new area for elk I always get skunked. However if I stick with the areas that I know I’m almost always successful whether it’s on the first day of the hunt or the last day of the hunt. Just be consistent in the areas you hunt. If you know there’s elk in the area than stick with that area and never give up.

I could write a whole book on elk hunting and it wouldn’t be long enough. I just wanted to touch base with some very important tips that will greatly help your success rate hunting elk.

Be safe and good hunting my friends.

This is the burning question many out-of-state hunters want to know. There’s two different types of hunts in Utah for elk. There’s the ‘any bull’ hunt then there’s the ‘spike only.’ We’ll talk about where to go for both of these hunts.

Spike Only: This type of hunt covers much more of the state then the ‘any bull’ hunt.

1. Strawberry: Strawberry has been famous for hunting elk for decades because of the shear numbers of elk that thrive here. This area is also famous for growing big fish in the famous Strawberry Reservoir. Just about anywhere is great hunting in this area however the north side of Strawberry holds more elk in my opinion.

2. Monroe: This place I talked about before as being famous for the size of the elk and the shear numbers that thrive here as well. If you’re looking to fill your spike tag then Monroe is a great place. Be fore warned though this place is extremely popular so I would plan on hunting the weekdays to avoid the masses of people that hunt here during the general rifle season.

Any Bull:

1. Kamas: This area has been an ‘any bull’ since Utah switched over to the ‘any bull’ – ‘spike only’ system. Kamas holds some big elk merely because of the steep, extremely rugged country that makes up Kamas. If you’re planning on hunting this area make sure you have access to horses or plan on spending a couple of days getting your elk out.

Utah changes the boundaries of these hunts it seems almost every year so make sure you check the proclamation before you decide on a place to go.

What are some good places to hunt elk in Colorado? Well, here are a few of your options.

Public lands are a great option for hunting elk in Colorado. These lands include the White River National Forest, the San Juan National Forest, and the bear’s ear part of the Routt National Forest. In any one of these three, you have a very good chance of getting an elk. Public hunting land in Colorado is very plentiful and easily accessible for most elk hunters.

If you have the opportunity to hunt private lands in Colorado, this can be a great option. There is a lot of private land available but finding it and getting permission to hunt on it, is another story. Most land owners will charge a fee but, that being said, it can be done. You won’t have as many hunters to compete with if you are hunting on private land, plus, much private land backs up to BLM land.

Of all the good places to hunt elk in Colorado, don’t overlook BLM land. BLM stands for Bureau of Land Management. A lot of times BLM land has been donated to the government by land owners. Some of this land is only accessible through private property. Now if you can find private land with BLM land surrounding it, you’ve found yourself a great place to hunt.

So there are definitely some good places to hunt elk in Colorado. But just remember, no matter where you decide to hunt elk, whether its public or private, you need to make sure you contact the Colorado Division of Wildlife and get the appropriate licenses and information that you will need. Getting yourself prepared ahead of time is crucial for a successful hunt.

Grand Canyon visitors have ample opportunity to see wildlife during their visit – Big Horn Sheep, Mule Deer, California Condor, Elk, Grey Fox, Ring Tail Cats, a variety of rattlesnakes and of the course notorious Rock Squirrel, to name a few.� But did you know you can also see bison?� If you are one of the few who travel to the North Rim, you might be lucky enough to see a herd of bison that live on the wilderness area between the Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest.

While many people interchange the terms buffalo and bison, according to scientists, buffalo can only be found in the Old World, Asia and Africa and bison are the bovines that evolved in North America, also known as the American Bison.�

In North America, the image of bison is that of herds traveling through the Midwest, hunted by American Indians and settlers during the expansion of the American West.� The bison numbers were dwindling as many called for their protection, most famously Buffalo Bill Cody, while President Ulysses S. Grant pocket vetoed a Federal protection bill and General Philip Sheridan called for their slaughter in order to cut off Native American food sources.� By 1884, the American Bison were close to extinction.� In 1899, the herd began their slow introduction in Montana and other parts of the Midwest, which occurred only nine years after the last major Indian War – Wounded Knee in 1890.

These “”Grand Canyon”" bison were introduced by two North Rim settlers, Charles “”Buffalo”" Jone and Uncle Owens in the early 1900s.� The bison were cross-bred cattle in an attempt to produce a heartier and meatier stock.� Such crosses are referred as cattalo or beefalo.� Since the ranch is no longer in existence, the descendants from this experiment still exist in the area for lucky visitors to enjoy – from a distance.

Next time you are traveling up to the North Rim of Grand Canyon, keep your eyes open as you pass through the wide open mountain meadows, you might just sight these great beasts!

Often times our vacations to national parks or forests are dictated by the date the kids are out of school or when the weather is hot. This may not be the best time to visit Grand Teton National Park.

Here are the top 5 reasons to visit the park in May. If you have time off or if you are looking for a unique park experience, the month of May offers some special attractions.

THE ELK ARE PLENTIFUL

If you are interested in viewing elk close up and personal, May beats all the other months. The thousands of elk that winter in the National Elk Refuge just north of the town of Jackson are driven out of the refuge as soon as the snow is gone in the lower elevations. They migrate in all directions but mostly north along US 89 which is the main road extending north through the park. Temporary signs are posted at regular intervals along the highway with instructions to “”slow down”" so you will not hit the migrating wildlife. Many days you can see hundreds of elk migrating north into the forest and the wilderness areas of the park.

BUFFALO CALVES ARE ORANGE

Unless you have visited the park in April or May, you have never seen orange buffalo calves. Newborn buffalo look much like a Heifer with a really big head. Buffalo roam mostly on Antelope Flats and prefer to stay at a distance from you with their young. Calves are easy prey for wolves, coyote or bears if they become separated from the herd. The contrast to the dark brown or black color of the older buffalo makes for a spectacular sight!

NO MOSQUITOES

It is too early in the season for the mosquitoes to breed. The nights are still too cold for the larvae to survive. It will be June before the mosquitoes become a nuisance.

FLOWING RIVERS

From glacier-fed waterfalls to Snake River tributaries, the waters are flowing at near peak rates. Rivers and streams that otherwise would be dry (or only a trickle) are flowing at capacity. While flooding is usually only along the Snake River, the contributing waters support wildlife throughout the park. It is not uncommon to get water, wildlife, mountain and sunset in the same picture.

NO CROWDS

For those looking for the greatest experience in the park without standing in line, May is the month! Most schools are still in session, summer has not yet officially begun, the seasonal rates have not yet been raised and the crowds will not slow you down. It will be the middle of June before you are gridlocked on the park roads.

Overall, May is a pretty good month to visit Grand Teton National Park. The earth is beginning to wake with the renewal of green leaves and lush vegetation and the wildlife put on their best show just before the heat of the summer.

If you are planning a visit to Grand Teton National Park this year, May is a good time to come!

Have you ever been to a wedding in the city? The traffic, congestion, pollution, urban noise, tall buildings and rush of urban life makes for uptight guests. After all, that is why you pay a fortune for a wedding planner to make all those things go away. Right?

Brides want their special day to be perfect including happy guests, happy groom and happy surroundings.

THE GRAND TETON

If you are an outdoors person looking for a backdrop that makes a real statement “”The Grand”" (as it is called by locals) has to be it! This sharp mountain peak, known as one of the Rocky Mountain’s youngest peaks, rises from a 6,400′ valley floor to an elevation of over 13,780 feet. Imagine a backdrop for wedding pictures vaulting over 1 1/3 miles above the dance floor! Talk about a “”big rock!”" Very few fake (or authentic) Greek columns can compete with a mountain! What’s more, glaciers fill the crevasses most of the year. A June wedding would display more than just white-capped mountain peaks. Your view could include glaciers the size of several football stadiums!

Inside the park weddings are permitted in certain places designated by the National Park Service such as Schwabacker’s Landing, Blacktail Ponds Overlook and Signal Mountain Summit. A reservation fee and permit are required to hold a wedding at any of these locations. It is good to keep in mind that each guest that enters the park through the gates at Moose or Moran is charged the normal park entrance fee.

QUIET SERENITY

About the only thing you can hear in this popular wilderness is the soft and steady whoosh of a nearby stream. Wildlife frequent the shadows at dusk as the looming moonlight supplants a spectrum of streaking sunbeams. Sandhill Crane, Canada Geese and an occasional Bald Eagle glide overhead keeping watch over wilderness habitat and overnight summer sleeping grounds. The silence is broken only by an occasional bugle of a bull elk<elk gathering his harem at the end of summer’s passing.

WEATHER

If you know the west, you know that most summer days are clear and the visibility unlimited. Hiking and climbing enthusiasts can view the Snake River Valley of Idaho to a distance of nearly 200 miles and the mountain ranges of Wyoming as far as obscuring peaks will allow. Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Montana are all visible from the peaks of the Tetons on a clear day.

The temperature in summer rarely breaks out of the 80′s during the day and the nights are cool requiring a jacket as mountain shadows stretch across the valley of the Tetons. You should probably plan on more, than less, when planning evening wear and bridesmaids dresses.

THE OUTDOORS

Most brides planning for guests are interested in good friends, good food and good entertainment. The kind of entertainment in this part of the world goes far beyond loud bands and Rocky Mountain music. This is truly “”America’s Serengeti.”" Viewing wildlife including buffalo, moose, elk, deer, antelope and occasional creatures that are found on the top of the food chain, keep guests entertained with awe.

None of this is man-made.

It is all natural and in the most environmentally protected area of the lower 48. Mingling among the animals throughout the park makes for great entertainment and breaks from traditional rehearsals and receptions.

Guests, adept to the outdoors, can take a lazy float through the Oxbow or a wild river ride down Snake River Canyon in the afternoon. Whitewater and clear water are found all along the Snake as it winds a serpentine course past the foothills of The Grand!

A quick flick of a fly into the tributary waters of The Snake will yield a catch of native ancestry originating in the headwaters of the Yellowstone Wilderness. Cutthroat and Rainbow trout are abundant and are easily found by fishing enthusiasts. Some may be so overtaken by this experience they may not make it back for the vows.

THE AIRPORT

A little-known fact about Grand Teton National Park is that a commercial airport is located within its boundary. Commercial flights on several major airlines deliver passengers (guests) to the foot of the Tetons. A 6,300 foot runway accommodates 737s as well as commuter-size aircraft. The view out the right cabin window on final approach to runway 19 is simply breathtaking. The descent along the entire Teton Range begins at an altitude even with the peaks and ends at its foot. Rental cars and shuttles are available at the airport and accommodations are not far away.

So, if you are looking for adventure in a wedding that reaches beyond the traditional back yard or urban setting, consider Grand Teton National Park and its surrounding venues. Your guests will not be disappointed with the scene and they will remember your special day for a lifetime!

Do you get up in the morning determined to have a good day and before you know it, you find yourself feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, and that you can’t wait for the day to be over so you can rest? Do you feel like you are existing from day to day rather than living a life of joy? Do you ever ask yourself, “”Is this all there is, and if it is, do I want it?”" If so, you are not alone.

Thousands of people just like you are asking these same questions. These are the people who thought that if they just did it right everything would be okay. Right meant – getting married, having children, buying the starter house, moving to the larger house and two car garage, and so on including getting a good education so you could make lots of bucks. You keep running to keep up with this picture of success and yet you feel so empty. The emptiness feels like isolation, loneliness, and exhaustion. I call this emptiness ‘existential despair.’

Existential Despair

Existentialism is a philosophy centred upon the analysis of existence and stressing the freedom, responsibility, and usually the isolation of the individual. Despair means utter loss of hope or a cause of hopelessness. ‘Existential despair’ then means the painful discrepancy between what is, and what should be, between one’s perceptions, and one’s suppositions.

This sense of loss or the absence of meaning in one’s life is the common denominator of all forms of emotional distress and has been identified as the ‘modern day illness.’ Pain, disease, disappointment, loss, failure, alienation, or merely boredom – all lead to this feeling that life is meaningless. ‘Existential despair’ exists when we buy the myth that having the external goodies creates success and happiness. We do and buy everything we can to fill the ‘hole in our soul’ except the one thing that really matters – going within and making peace with ourselves.

Making Peace with Ourselves

Making peace with ourselves involves changing the way we habitually focus our energy. What this means is that WHAT YOU FOCUS YOUR ATTENTION ON EXPANDS. Scientists are discovering that energy never dies; rather, it changes form as attention is focused on it. Thoughts are energy. A belief is a thought with expectations attached. Everything starts with a thought and reality is created by expectant thoughts.

One of the universal laws is the Law of Increase. This law ensures that whatever you concentrate on will increase in your life. In other words, whatever you think about expands and therefore you will receive even more. In an empowering (positive) way, expressing gratitude for all the many blessings you have received accelerates this process. In a limiting (negative) way, the same principle applies.

What is Gratitude?

Gratitude is the state of being grateful: thankfulness. What does this mean in terms of our lives? Essentially this means that when we look at life as an opportunity to grow in love, and learn about opening our hearts with love, we see the world from a place of healing and peace. When we look at the world as a place of pain and suffering that is also what we see. Pain and suffering actually constricts our hearts and affects our physical health.

Gratitude as a Way of Life

How many of us live our lives being grateful for the many blessings we have? How many times a day do we say ‘thank you’? When was the last time you said ‘thank you’ to yourself for creating this wondrous being that you are?

What would your day look like if you lived your life as if everything was a gift to you? How would you start the day if the first thing you did was to be thankful for the gift of life? One of the quotes I especially like is by Jim Evans. It is, “”If you don’t think everyday is a great day, try going without one.”" Black Elk (Native American visionary) spoke of his habit of greeting each morning by stepping outside, letting his bare feet touch the wet grass literally reconnecting with the earth, and singing a prayer of gratitude for the day’s arrival.

Practical Steps to Practicing Gratitude

1. Start a gratitude journal. Depending on which author you read, suggestions range from 5 – 80 things a day. What works for me is saying ‘thank you’ to everything I encounter each day, for example a sunrise/sunset, hoar frost on the trees (especially when the sun is shining), food, shelter, warm homes and offices, clothing, colleagues, work/jobs, lessons about living peace, etc.

2. Remember: Meister Eckhart’s saying, “”The most important prayer in the world is just two words: THANK YOU.”"

3. Do a gratitude alphabet exercise. In your notebook, write the letters from A – Z. As fast as you can, write down I am grateful for ___________ starting with the letter A and going through the alphabet. For example: I am grateful for apples, I am grateful for bananas, I am grateful for carrots, and so until you finish all the letters.

4. Start your day by being thankful for all the blessings you have.

5. Practice an ‘Act of Kindness’ everyday.

6. Look for ways you can genuinely praise your partner, your child, your colleague, your employees, the person who serves you – such as a waitress, mail carrier, paper delivery person, police officers, etc.

7. Thank the earth for sustaining your life by providing food, air, and water.

8. Write a letter to the Universe expressing gratitude for all your blessings.

9. Thank your parents for giving you life.

10. Thank the Universe for all the lessons you have received.

Wolves are once again protected in the northern Rocky Mountains of the United States. On Tuesday, October 14th, 2008, a court victory for environmentalists returned gray wolves to the endangered species list.

“”The northern Rocky Mountain gray wolf is returned to the list of endangered and threatened species, with each of its component populations having the same status under the Endangered Species Act”" said Federal Judge Donald Molly, in a written ruling handed down in Missoula, Montana. Twelve groups had challenged the United States Government’s decision in February 2008 to delist the gray wolf in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Passionate in their commitment to protect wolves, the challengers refuted claims that the reintroduction of gray wolves had been a success. It was feared that delisting the species would lead to hunting of wolves, sanctioned by the authority of the individual states.

Before the early settlers arrived, gray wolves ranged across most of the continental United States. As the settlers moved in and encroached on the wilderness, the once massive herds of bison, elk and deer were scattered or annihilated. Natural predators, the carnivorous wolves began to attack domestic livestock and the settlers retaliated. US government agencies and ranchers paid a generous bounty on the pelts of wolves trapped or shot by hunters. Ironically, wildlife studies have shown that wolves have minimal negative impact on deer and elk populations, since they feed primarily on sick, weak or disabled individuals.

Until the introduction of the species in the early 1980s, gray wolves had all but disappeared in the mainland United States. At that time wolves began colonizing northwestern Montana near Glacier Park. In 1995 and 1996, sixty-six wolves from Canada were released in Yellowstone National Park in the hope that they would survive and multiply.

Since the release, the wolf population has increased through dispersal and natural reproduction. US Forest Service studies report over 1200 wolves in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming.

The gray wolf or timber wolf is a social animal and lives in family groupings called packs, which bond together to hunt large prey and to defend their territory against other wolves. Montana has 73 packs with 415 wolves. This estimate includes 38 breeding pairs. Wolves normally have 4-6 pups per litter. Mineral County conservatively reports that there are 36 wolves in 7 packs. Mineral County represents less than one percent of Montana’s land mass, but has 18 percent of the state’s wolf population.

The average gray wolf pack is about 6-8 animals. The pack grows and shrinks dependent on the season. In the spring and summer months, wolves focus on raising their young and stay in small groups to feed their pups. In the winter months, wolves form larger packs to facilitate hunting and traveling. Wolves range over large distances with a territory size that varies from 50 to 1,000 square miles.

The timber wolf is a magnificent creature. Canis Lupus plays a critical role in the natural ecosystem by restoring balance to Montana’s diverse wildlife population. The unique experience of encountering a wolf in the wild is a rare gift, a breath-taking, heart-pounding moment that few will ever have the opportunity to savor.

With the reinstatement of the endangered species designation, perhaps the midnight howl of a gray wolf will be heard by future generations.