SPRING AT THE BISON RANGE

The animals are in a big cage - one that covers 18,700 acres - but even in an enclosure, it doesn't guarantee an up close look at animals. "It's not a zoo. You might see them real close or maybe not at all. You just never know, said Stephanie Gillin, the information and education project manager at the Bison Range in Moiese, which is now operated by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Indian Reservation. Gillin said the bison, as other animals, roam throughout the landscape. She added that it depends on the individual animals, the species, the time of day, and the time of year.

The Bison Range, which lies in Lake and Sanders Counties, held its seasonal opening of Red Sleep Mountain Drive on Friday. Even with a chilly and rainy day, just over 50 people visited the refuge on opening day, said Roxie Acevedo, a staff member at the visitor center. Saturday's visitors included three international visitors who were traveling together to tour several Montana parks. "This is very nice; I really like it here," said Anant Rungta of India. Acevedo, one of a dozen full-time and seasonal staff members at the visitors center, posed for a photograph with Rungta. "I'm a real Native American meeting a real Indian," said Acevedo, a Salish, Kootenai and Pend O'reille Indian.

There were around 300 visitors on Saturday, but Acevedo believes there were some who hadn't signed the visitor's log. Some 1,200 people made the 19-mile trip on Red Sleep Mountain Drive and the visitors center on Sunday. Gillin has been told by visitors that they visit the Bison Range every time they visit the area. "I also feel that with the unbelievable visitation to Yellowstone and Glacier Park, we are in the middle and that has also made us a destination site," she said.

It is the first season that the Tribes are in total management control of the Bison Range since it was transferred to them from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service in December 2020. The CSKT is working on several enhancement projects, such as road improvement, a new gift shop, renovation of the museum, and signage, much of which is also done in the Salish language. The biggest restoration project was the museum, which took a year to do, said Gillin. 

The new museum not only provides information of the wildlife at the refuge, but also tells the history of the Native peoples of the area, beginning the tour with three huge photographs of prominent and influential chiefs of the area - Chief Alexander, Chief Charlo and Kustata Big Knife. "We tell of our close relationship with bison, will tell the story of our aboriginal territories off the Flathead Indian Reservation, where we still practice our aboriginal rights of gathering, hunting and fishing," said Gillin. 

Between 85-90 percent of the museum is new, but it still has a life-size mount of a 2,000-pound bull as a focal point at the start the tour. Workers completed the new museum last week, but there are still a couple minor items that will be done soon. The Tribe continues its efforts to get "Big Medicine," a white bison that was a popular attraction at the refuge, back at the Bison Range, where he was born. He died in 1959 and is on display at the Montana Historical Society museum in Helena.

Still, the biggest attraction for the refuge is its biggest beast, the bison, also known as the American buffalo. Bison Range biologist Shannon Clairmont said the herd is healthy and doing well. The staff keeps a constant watch over the herd for possible health problems throughout the year. He said they have seen about 20 newborn bison calves as of last week, but he added that the cows will continue to give birth into the summer. Clairmont is one of three wildlife biologists at the refuge, which includes Charlie Lytle, and a rangeland ecologist.

Bison have a special historical relationship to the Native American culture. "In my opinion, it is a symbol of the past. I believe people, myself included, like to think of what it would have looked like to see millions of them roaming the plains," said Gillin, who said the Salish word for bison is "many black for when they once blanketed the plains."

The staff tries to keep the number of bison at healthy ecosystem levels, according to Gillin, who is also a biologist. She said the current number of bison is around 300 with about an equal number of cows and bulls in the herd. Gillin wants to remind people that bison are animals and that they should keep at a safe distance. A brochure the staff hands out suggests that visitors should stay at least 25 yards away from bison, but visitors might want to give the cows more space this time of the season when new mothers can become more protective, said Clairmont, a biologist for 22 years and a member of the Bison Range team since December. He said that bison can be unpredictable at any time of the year, but bulls are more aggressive in the summer when the breeding season, known as the rut, is going on and they are looking to show their dominance in the herd. The peak rut, July and August, can provide special shows for visitors when bulls bellow, curl their lips, wallow in the dirt, strut their stuff to intimidate other bulls, and sometimes go to actual battle over the chance to mate with cows. 

Gillin said there are other species on the range that are also better viewed from a safe distance, such as black bears, bighorn sheep and elk. Most of the elks live along Mission Creek, but there are a few that routinely meander into the picnic area where people walk around away from their vehicles. Gillin said there's one older bull that's been hanging out in the picnic area for years. "But the problem is he's getting cranky in his older years and a little aggressive, so people need to be careful and keep their distance," she said.

The staff keeps an estimated count of animal species at the refuge. They believe there are about 275 elk, almost 20 pronghorn antelope, about a dozen bighorn sheep, along with an unknown number of mule and whitetail deer, and coyotes. Clairmont said he's unsure of the number of black bears at the range and he believes the refuge is periodically visited by grizzly bears that dig under the fence or swim under the fence in Mission Creek. The refuge also has thousands of bird species, which fluctuates from season to season.

The Bison Range gates will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. The visitors center's hours are from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Throughout the spring, summer and part of autumn, visitors can take the long loop drive around the refuge trip and use the three walking trails along Red Sleep Mountain Drive. The mile long High Point Trail is situated at an elevation of 4,885 feet, nearly the highest point on the refuge. Tribal officials estimated that the Bison Range gets about 200,000 visitors a year to see the spectacular terrain and its inhabitants. Though Red Sleep Mountain Drive is closed during the winter, part of the Bison Range is open. "Even during the winter months we have seen visitors from all over the U.S. and around the world," said Gillin. "It's amazing to me how people find us. And that many of them visit every year," she added. With the influx of visitors from outside the United States, she said they are planning to get pamphlets translated into multiple languages to accommodate international visitors.

The refuge is planning a Bison Range Restoration Celebration on May 20, which will be put on by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Starting at 10 a.m., there will be an opening prayer, an honor song and an honor guard. Lunch will be provided from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., followed by a powwow and Native games.