“Oh give me a home, where the Buffalo roam, and the deer and the antelope play.” These words to the popular western folk song, Home on the Range, came to life for us on a recent visit to the National Bison Range, in western Montana, where we saw plenty of roaming buffalo (and hanging out, relaxing buffalo) and recreational deer and antelope. All the wildlife (and more) mentioned in the song came out to see us in this 18,800-acre National Wildlife Refuge established by Theodore Roosevelt in 1908. It was the first time that Congress appropriated tax dollars to buy land specifically to conserve wildlife. Currently, the refuge manages between 350-500 Bison. But the Bison share their habitat with many other critters.
The refuge is a diverse ecosystem of rolling hills and valleys covered with grasslands and forests of Ponderosa Pines and Douglas Firs. Small streams, ponds and the Flathead River can be found in the lowlands. Throughout these lands, Mule deer, White-tailed deer, Elk, Pronghorn, Bighorn Sheep, Black and Grizzly Bear, Mountain Lions, Bobcats, Coyotes, Badgers and over 200 species of birds make this area their home. Many of these animals can be seen from the self-guiding auto tour of Red Sleep Mountain Drive and Prairie Drive. Although it was a bit hot when we visited the refuge in mid-morning, we were excited to see so much wildlife-even more than we observed in some of the larger National Parks we had visited the previous week. In our first 45 minutes, we had good views of Bighorn Sheep, Pronghorn, Mule Deer and Elk, as well as quick looks at a young Black Bear that was searching for berries in and out of a thick, tree-lined stream corridor. But it was the sneaky glimpse of a much smaller mammal on the top of a mountain grassland that got me really excited-a Badger.
A young Black Bear searches for berries in the National Bison Range
Pronghorn Antelope and Bighorn Sheep wander through hundreds of acres of grasslands
This grey, burrowing mammal with a black and white striped face has been on my bucket list for many years. I had missed seeing one in several western states in years past. So, when we crested the steep hill and I saw this shy, feisty carnivore waddling through the tall grass, I hit the brakes as the rental vehicle came to a sliding stop on the rough, gravel road. As I yelled to my daughter to grab my camera, the flat, ghostly mammal disappeared into the tall grass-gone. Technically, I saw a Badger, although it was only a fast look at the hairy rear-end of the animal. It’s still in that bucket! We would like to return to the National Bison Range, where all the wildlife made us feel “Home on the Range!
Elk cool off in the Flathead River and a Western Meadowlark sings from a shrub.