Biologist shares passion for outdoors, wildlife

"Far and away the best prize that life has to offer is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Teddy Roosevelt

Sanders County has a new wildlife biologist, and he is ready to work hard at work worth doing. Mike Ebinger joined Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) in January as the local area's biologist. He replaces Bruce Sterling, who retired last year.

The biologist, originally from Michigan, moved to Sanders County from Bozeman, where for the last seven years he did research with the federal Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team. The group monitored grizzlies in the great Yellowstone ecosystem. Ebinger said that gave him a good background in collaborating with other agencies, which he noted will help him in his new position with so much public land in the area. Ebinger said he has a lot of experience working with wildlife disease issues, including brucellosis in bison and chronic wasting disease in ungulates. He has worked with a variety of species, and added that he was in the Sanders County area as long as 14 years ago working at check stations throughout FWP's Region 1. Since then he has wanted an opportunity to come back to the region. "I think we have a lot in common," he stated of the residents he's meeting, including "a passion for wildlife and local resources. I'm excited to be here." He has a bachelor's degree in resource ecology from the University of Michigan and completed his masters in fish and wildlife management at Montana State University in Bozeman.

Ebinger said he knew he would always end up in a small town, but wanted to stay in Montana, where he has lived since 2006. "I don't think I'll ever leave," he stated. Ebinger said the state has done so much for him in terms of quality of life and happiness that he wanted to "give back to the state of Montana and work for people like me. I couldn't ask for a better place." He said he shares the passion that Sanders County residents have for wildlife resources and is an avid hunter and fisherman. He knows there are contentious issues with wildlife, but he said the FWP job is the ideal challenge and place for him. He also knows there will be a lot to the job. "This job will be my life, and I am OK with that."

With a new governor, new FWP director and new commission, Ebinger said he has no agenda and is still learning what will be a priority in the job. For him, the most important is getting out, understanding priorities and views of the public, and learning the landscape of Sanders County. "I want to be a good public servant. I'm their biologist," Ebinger said of the community. "The best resource is getting out and talking to people. We have a lot of people with decades of experience with wildlife." He added that people have already been reaching out to him and he has been meeting outfitters and checking animals with the open trapping season. He has heard from residents their concerns about wolves and predator management, as well as changing ungulate numbers and patterns. He said chronic wasting disease will be on the radar as data from last year's harvest comes available, and this spring will conduct wildlife surveys. He'll balance being in the office and in the field, and welcomes people stopping by the office east of Thompson Falls or calling him at (406) 382-3031. He said he looks forward to meeting people face-to-face, but is available by phone as well.