September 1st - 30th Range Rider Update
Is it really October already?! The field season flew by and will wrap up at the end of this month. In early September, there were 11 grizzly bear observations, all associated with carcass scavenging. There were a handful of cattle losses, several of which have been confirmed or suspected depredations. Range riders continue to ride through cattle, but have also been helping more with gathering, trailing, and shipping as needed. Most producers have weaned and shipped calves by now, reducing the concern around predator-livestock conflict. For the last half of the month, the Team saw less grizzly bear activity, in part due to fewer carcasses and less scavenging activity.
There is nice fall weather in the Valley. Warm days, cold nights, a little moisture to keep the dust down, and changing leaves have made for some beautiful days. Long-range forecasts predict similar fall weather to the last couple years. This could mean a late start to winter with some moisture events here and there and generally warmer temperatures. Hopefully no early 18-inch snowstorms while folks are trying to ship cattle this year!
Pronghorn rifle season started October 8th. Expect increased traffic throughout the Valley. General rifle season of deer and elk starts October 22nd. Just as a friendly reminder, if you are a hunter, 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. Also, if you shoot a moose, deer, or elk this season please consider submitting samples for CWD testing. Thank you!
In September, the Team had 16 grizzly bear observations. In the first half of September, there were 11 observations, including 6 sightings, 2 game camera events, and 3 observations of sign around carcasses. Observations included a sow with 3 cubs, a sow with 2 cubs, and multiple lone adults. The latter half of September had five observations, including two sightings, one observation of tracks, and two game camera events. In the fall, grizzly bears are in a hyperactive eating (hyperphagia) as they start to prepare for winter hibernation. They will continue to be more active and more aggressive near food sources. Please be extra bear aware while out working, recreating, and hunting.
There were two black bear observations in total, including one sighting and one pile of scat loaded with berries.
The Team recorded two wolf observations, including one sighting of a black-grey wolf and wolf howling.
There was another mountain lion observation on a game camera! This is in the same location as previous observations this year, so it’s likely the same individual.
Elk are bugling, which indicates the rut (breeding season). Pronghorn are also breeding, and you’ll notice large herds of many females with one buck, typically. Deer and moose will start to rut in November. Game cameras are picking up more activity. The cooler weather and rutting activity have likely influenced the uptick in our observations. Pronghorn rifle season starts soon which usually makes them even more alert and reactive than normal. With the first snow, we expect the deer and pronghorn to start migrating out of the Valley. This could happen any time, last year the Centennial Valley got 18” on October 10th.
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 one of the Range Riders. We look forward to hearing from you!
Erika Nunlist, Wildlife Program Coordinator: wildlife@centennialvalleyassociation.org
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