Year-round Montana backcountry trail cam footage from Diaries of a Trailcam — with tips on how hunters can use this intel to scout smarter.

Montana elk are dying from Japanese yew, a common landscaping shrub. Learn why this ornamental plant is lethal to wildlife and what you can do to protect herds.

Idaho Fish and Game removed 82 wild mule deer that entered a captive elk facility in GMU 60A after hunters reported seeing them inside during the 2025 season. Officials said lethal removal and CWD testing were the most responsible option because wild deer can’t legally remain in captivity and there’s no reliable live test for chronic wasting disease.

Montana wildlife surveys have evolved from paper maps and pencils to handheld GPS units and digital mapping tools. As elk shift with mild winters and changing habitat, Montana FWP biologists use detailed tracklogs to verify coverage, avoid double-counting, and improve year-to-year consistency—leading to sharper data and smarter management decisions.

Elk hoof disease (TAHD) is a painful, polymicrobial infection that leaves elk lame and struggling to walk. First detected in Southwest Washington in the late 1990s, it surged after 2007–2008 and has spread into parts of Oregon, Idaho, and California. With no vaccine or treatment for wild elk and many unanswered questions about transmission and vulnerability, hunters and wildlife managers across the West—especially in nearby states like Montana—are watching closely.

A calm-looking elk can still react fast—especially around food. In a clip shared as a reminder, a child’s fingers were nibbled while hand-feeding. Here’s why hand-feeding wildlife is risky and the simplest rule to avoid preventable injuries.

Elk usually want to avoid people—but they can become dangerous fast during the fall rut or spring calving season. Learn the warning signs (pinned ears, lowered head, charging posture) and what to do if an elk starts closing the distance.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, with the Crow Tribe, captured 99 elk to study migration and brucellosis presence. GPS collars were fitted to track their movement and inform wildlife management decisions.

BRETT FRENCH | bfrench@billingsgazette.com As any hunter can tell you, elk are frustratingly smart, but they also adhere to certain […]

Every once in a while, nature throws us a plot twist that looks straight out of fantasy—an animal dressed in […]