October 1st - 15th, 2024 Range Rider Update
The end of the 2024 range riding season is drawing near. Participant cattle herds have all weaned and shipped calves out of the Valley. A few herds have been completely shipped or trailed out. With the need for riding slowing down significantly, the Team has shifted focus to tasks to wrap up the season. This includes vehicle maintenance, taking down game cameras, entering data, data analysis, cleaning, etc.
With the calves out of the Valley, there has been no recent cattle-predator conflict. Herds have been healthy and eager to head to winter pasture with the recent cold weather. In addition to checking on health and infrastructure, Range Riders have also been focused on tracking down missing cattle to reduce the number of unconfirmed losses by the end of the season. Most of the missing cattle have been accounted for.
A wildfire started in the West Fork around October 9th, and as of October 18th has burned 3,900 acres and is 30% contained. It is unclear what started the fire, but fire crews are focused on saving structures, including the Sloan Cow Camp. The fire has progressed westward and does not appear to be of immediate concern to the Centennial Valley. Recent moisture has hopefully dampened the fire for the season.
General rifle season for pronghorn opened October 12th and general rifle for deer and elk opens October 26th. The Centennial Valley offers abundant hunting opportunity, and increased traffic will be noticeable through the end of November. Hunters, just as a friendly reminder, please be respectful of the Centennial Valley and its community; do not trespass, practice good hunting ethics, clean up after yourself (i.e. garbage and toilet paper), and drive respectfully. Thank you!
Hunters, also please consider submitting deer, elk, and moose lymph node samples in for CWD testing. CWD is a 100% fatal disease that affects these species. Although it has not been known to infect humans, the CDC recommends not consuming meat that is CWD positive. There has not been a confirmed case in the Centennial Valley yet, but numerous positive animals have been detected just north in the Ruby Valley. More information about CWD and current management can be found on FWP’s website: https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/chronic-wasting-disease
There were three grizzly bear observations since the last report. Two were game camera events of the same bear passing in front of a camera on two different occasions. The third was an observation of a grizzly bear scavenging on an elk carcass near Odell Creek.
There was one black bear observation in Lakeview since the last report. Unfortunately, the bear was trying to get into one of the buildings. Around the same time a bear broke into a garbage trailer at a nearby property, likely the same bear. Securing bear attractants is one of the primary rules of being in bear country. Pay extra attention to leaving no food items available to bears throughout the valley.
There were two wolf observations since the last report, including a set of tracks and scat.
The Team has noticed a shift in ungulate activity in response to hunting pressure and cold, snowy weather. Elk herds have been spotted at lower elevations and on the refuge no-hunting areas. Large groups of pronghorn were documented farther west, indicative of initial staging for migration out of the Valley. Deer and moose remain in generally the same areas we’ve documented them throughout the season.
The Team and the cameras cannot capture the entire Valley each day, so community reports are extremely valuable to understand how wildlife use the Valley. If you have any wildlife reports to share (big or small!) please contact Erika Nunlist, Wildlife Program Coordinator, at wildlife@centennialvalleyassociation.org. We look forward to hearing from you!
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