A Wyoming study indicates that mule deer populations are declining due to habitat loss, climate change, and other stressors, with current estimates dropping significantly since their peak in 1991.

From berry-stuffed bears to hunters nodding off at daybreak, the “eat big, pass out” pattern shows up across species. Here’s why food comas look so similar in the wild and at home—and how the same instincts can kick in when calories are plentiful.

An Idaho outdoorsman looking for sheds got the surprise of a lifetime when he accidentally walked into a pair of mountain lions napping in the sun. The photos and video are a sharp reminder of how easily these predators disappear into the landscape.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks biologists are back in the Cabinet Mountains near Libby, using hounds to locate mountain lions and collect biological samples. The work adds to more than 25 years of research, helping compare today’s lions with earlier data and informing population estimates, harvest tracking, and long-term management.

Most mountain lions stay within a home range—but documented dispersals show some can go far beyond what most people imagine. One young tom’s journey from South Dakota’s Black Hills to Connecticut topped 1,500 miles, and GPS studies have captured other long treks, including a female that logged close to 1,000 miles across multiple western states.

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.

The DNRC Cabin and Home Site Sales program has upcoming auctions in Lewis & Clark, Missoula, and Powell Counties. 

In early 2025, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will decide whether to delist some populations of grizzly bears in the U.S. Northern Rockies. As Montanans consider their future with grizzly bears, University of Montana scientists are helping inform the social, ecological and policy aspects of the dialogue.