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We're newlyweds. Almost four years. We met online on Farmers Only, when the commercials were still very low budget! In these four years, there have been many changes. Some of them painful since we were both single, independent for many years before we married, and are both first born children.

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At the beginning of your post, please attribute the writer and Ensia as the original source and link to the Ensia article. Stories may not be edited without permission from Ensia. Please send an email to contact ensia. Images and other visuals are not included in this license. For specific questions related to visuals, please contact Todd Reubold. For other inquiries, email contact ensia. The post is now in your clipboard. In the predawn chill a range rider moves through the sage grass and lupine.

The scene — a woman on horseback, her cattle dog trailing behind her under a sky shockingly full of stars, and a quiet herd grazing between the aspens — is what Westerns are made of. But she is wise to not be lulled into the cowboy poetry of this place.

The square-mile square-kilometer basin is home to not only a wolf pack, but also one of the densest populations of grizzly bears in the Lower Some 30 to 40 adult bears live in the aspen-fringed draws and fir-studded peaks that weave through the area.

Each summer, tourists park their cars on the side of the road to watch the animals dig for caraway roots in the cow pastures. Local residents carry cans of capsaicin-laced bear spray the way cautious urbanites pack mace. Along with cattle, ranchers and wolves, Tom Miner Basin is home to 30 to 40 adult grizzlies. The bears forage in the area for caraway root, a nonnative plant rich in fat and fiber. Photo by Louise Johns. The cattle are under even more threat than the humans: So far in Montana in , 78 cows have been killed by grizzlies, and 49 more by wolves.

At a time when habitat is decreasing and government protection is increasingly precarious, the ranchers here have decided to make space for their erstwhile enemies, because they believe they deserve to be here too. The effort to coexist grew more urgent after the U. The decision is already sticky with lawsuits from environmental groups that claim that Ursus horribilis remains threatened by climate change and the loss of several of its staple foods.

They fear that, without federal protection, there will be fewer regulatory obstacles to shooting bears when they wander onto private lands. Malou Anderson-Ramirez remembers when the wolves began roaming out from Yellowstone into Tom Miner soon after they were reintroduced into the park in Then, about 10 or 15 years ago, the grizzlies started appearing in greater numbers, too.

Anderson-Ramirez, along with her parents and siblings, custom-graze around beef cattle on the family property for another Montana ranch. The number of livestock killed every year varies widely, depending on whether any of the local predators have taken a liking to beef. Most remain satisfied with wild game.

But some years are especially bad — as in , when a male grizzly killed nine cows in two-and-a-half weeks on a Tom Miner ranch. If a wolf or a bear kills a cow, it becomes a marked animal. Still, the greatest cause of nonnatural death for both wolves and grizzly bears in the West is a run-in with humans, often over livestock. In , for example, a record 54 grizzlies were killed by humans in the Yellowstone ecosystem, largely due to conflicts with hunters and ranchers.

But the Anderson family, and some others in the basin, recognize that these top predators are only acting the way they were born to act. Malou Anderson-Ramirez is one of several Tom Miner ranchers who are using low-stress livestock handling to help protect cattle from predators. During the day range riders might deter attacks, since simply having a human around could make predators look elsewhere for a meal.

So every morning and evening, when the riders in Tom Miner inspect cows, they use a relatively rare technique called low-stress livestock handling to encourage the cattle to behave more like the bison that used to graze these lands and knew to guard their young.

A scattered herd is vulnerable to predation: Isolated animals are more likely to run if ambushed by a wolf or bear, making them an easier target than if they bunched together. So the range riders gently urge mothers to pair up with their calves and stick close to the rest of the herd. The low-stress part? Rather than driving a herd hard from behind, the way most cowhands do, they walk or ride in zig-zags so the cows can always see them out of the corner of their eye.

As soon as the herd starts to move in the right direction, the riders stop nagging. Whit Hibbard, a fourth-generation Montana rancher and cattleman, is a prominent advocate of low-stress livestock handling. Most ranchers act a lot like predators, he says. All of which riles the cows up and makes life harder for the humans that have to work with them. Low-stress livestock handling enables a single range rider or rancher working alone to rekindle the herd instinct in a herd of hundreds without employing any of the aggressive tactics often used on ranches.

Low-stress-handling proponents argue that keeping animals in a peaceful state of mind improves their health, their ability to gain weight and the quality of their meat. Despite benefits for both rancher and cow, low-stress livestock handling in its purest form is rarely practiced.

And when cows are tightly grouped and grazing intensively in an area for a short period of time, their hooves work dung and urine into the ground, bury seeds, and break through crusted soil and club moss, all of which regenerate the soil and improve forage. Hibbard estimates that only about 2 percent of American cattle ranchers truly incorporate it, though many more claim to.

Ancient White Park Cattle are known for their aggressive efforts to protect their young from predators. Down the road from the Anderson ranch, at the B-Bar ranch, they raise Ancient White Park cattle — a rare heritage breed where both sexes have horns and mothers are famously protective, with a reputation for charging grizzlies.

This gives the herd a better chance of besting predators. Attitude is a barrier, but so is money. Range riding, for example, means another salary to budget for. In dry places like Nevada, where the ranches are vast and arid, it would take too long to ride out to the herd every day. Since the program started in Tom Miner in , there has only been one probable wolf kill. For one, riders are quick to the scene if a calf is sick or a cow is dead.

Yet, if you listen to Anderson-Ramirez describe why she works to foster coexistence, something beyond the practical reasons, something verging on the sacred, emerges. Save Save. Ensia shares solutions-focused stories free of charge through our online magazine and partner media. That means audiences around the world have ready access to stories that can — and do — help them shape a better future.

If you value our work, please show your support today. Sign up now for our bi-weekly newsletter and you'll get the latest stories from Ensia delivered straight to your inbox. These Montana ranchers are helping grizzlies, wolves and cattle coexist. As human—wildlife interactions increase, range riders test novel strategies for keeping herds safe in the presence of threatened predators.

Get Article. Show your support for nonprofit journalism! Yes, I'll support Ensia! On the dry plains area I wonder if there is value in and use for camera operated drones? Paul Thomson Dec. I am nearing retirement from my 37 year career as a UPS driver and would like to look into this line of work. I come from a ranching family, my grandparents homesteaded a dairy ranch in Klamath Falls Oregon nearly a years ago that is still in operation.

I am also a wildlife photographer in my spare time and have a great love for all wild critters and the land they need to survive. I have an understanding of the ranchers needs and motivations especially people like the ones mentioned in the story and know my way around cattle as I spent my youth running from and dodging angry cows protecting their calves. Richard Williams Dec. For those who may be interested in a part time job of range riding would be nice if there was a way to applying.

Maybe a few government retirees may be interested also. Mark Jordahl Dec. Is there potential for ranchers to actually MAKE money off a range rider program assuming the presence of humans is the deterrent, not some specific skillset? Seems like a lot of people would pay good money to live an old style cowboy life for a week or two. It could be set up as a business, and then clients could be sent out to ranches with a portion of the fee paid to the rancher.

That could incentivize more ranchers to participate in a program like this. GPC Dec. I heartily applaud the innovative efforts of Ms. In general, western ranchers have been riding roughshod over predator species for far too long. Thanks for this hopeful, uplifting article. Malou Anderson-Ramirez Dec.

For those interested in range riding jobs and certifications, feel free to contact us through the Tom Miner Basin Association. There are options and information for those who would like to investigate further. Denver Rohrberg Dec. I really think this Range Riding is a good thing also coexisting with the Bears is very important, after all they were here first!

I also believe in less stress to livestock, and gentle handling. Georgia Baker Nov. Thank you for this amazing article full of insights on co-existence with top predators. I am a wildlife artist and love to help advocate the good work of conservation initiatives in Montana.

It bewilders me that only a small hand-full of ranchers are willing to put in the effort to change practices that would be much better for their bottom line, safety and the predator.

Thank you for showing a way that would create a healthier planet for all! I LOVE the grizzly bear, as an artist, I am inspired by its magnificent strength and beauty and I feel grateful the grizzly was made to be a resourceful species. I hope future generations of artists will also have the privilege to paint this majestic creature in its wild habitat! Thank you!

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Not 30 minutes later, he found something else — the ribcage of a half-eaten calf, gleaming in the sun. When Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist Pat Matthews came to investigate, he found a carcass ringed by wolf tracks and covered in bite marks. Oregon, like many states where wolves have made a comeback, has a taxpayer-funded program that compensates ranchers for livestock killed by the predators, offsetting some of the direct costs ranchers bear for their return.

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These Montana ranchers are helping grizzlies, wolves and cattle coexist

At the Center for Rural Affairs, we have resources to help new farmers become successful and profitable while they carry on the proud tradition of family farms and vibrant rural communities. Learn more about opportunities and challenges for beginning farmers, including special programs for veterans and women getting started in farming. What happens when these aging farmers and ranchers are no longer working the land? Their lands concentrates in bigger and bigger and bigger operations, and we lose our family farms and ranches and our rural communities. What makes it hard for beginners?

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RO licensed realtors are working members of the BC ranching community with over 45 years of successful history buying and selling ranches, farms and rural property with hard work, honesty and integrity. Information for Buyers. A Ranch Property Evaluation is the first step in assessing value and a comparative market analysis that will assist you in pricing your property. There are many factors that affect your property's marketable value and our team has the ranch specific skills to ensure your estate is assessed correctly. Ranch Evaluation Information. There are many economic and agricultural factors to consider when purchasing a ranch property. Our Ranches Only Team live and work on their own farm and ranch operations. Meet the Ranches Only Team. We got to know Court quite well with each showing and were almost sorry when he sold our ranch because we felt like we were losing touch with a good friend who always had our best interest at heart. Ranches Only Realtors have a long history in evaluating, marketing and successfully selling ranch estates, farms and rural acreages across B. Information for Sellers. Ranches Only is here to help you find and purchase your dream ranch or list and sell your farm or rural acreage. Like every family, every farm, ranch and rural property is unique. Head Count, Grazing Licenses, Irrigation, Equipment, Hay Production There are many economic and agricultural factors to consider when purchasing a ranch property. For Sale.

When cattle go missing in wolf territory, who should pay the price?

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