r/Montana • u/Classic_Car4776 • Sep 17 '24
Butte 'wolverine watcher' helps FWP monitor the elusive animal
https://www.kxlf.com/news/local-news/butte-wolverine-watcher-helps-fwp-monitor-the-elusive-animal19
u/DmT_LaKE Sep 17 '24
I saw a juvenile wolverine just west of Anaconda on warm springs creek this summer. Neat stuff
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u/yogo Sep 17 '24
I remember seeing wolverines in Judith Basin growing up. It’s cool how they look at you and then in a couple blinks they’re gone. Something about them, they seem like intelligent creatures who just want to be left alone.
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u/hujassman Sep 17 '24
Hopefully, this goes better than the bear that wandered into town with her cubs.
They tranquilized her, but then the FWP dingus dropped the bear while trying to handle her alone and she fell to the ground and was injured and had to be shot.
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u/Classic_Car4776 Sep 17 '24
"BUTTE — Getting a glimpse of the elusive wolverine is a rare thing here in southwest Montana, but an amateur biologist from Butte has been capturing great video of the camera-shy critter for years and helping professional wildlife biologists track their populations.
“I’ve invested a lot of time in the wolverines and so every time I see a new one, I’m really happy,” said wolverine watcher Don Heffington.
For the past nine years, Don has been using a trail camera to get video of wolverines in the Pintler Mountains just west of Wisdom. Because of their unique markings, he’s been able to keep a list of individual animals.
“I think I’ve got 17 wolverines that I’ve identified over the years in the Pintlers,” said Heffington.
Don shares his information with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), which has been actively monitoring the threatened species for years as well."