5 Fascinating Facts About Montana’s Wildlife You May Not Know

BUTTE, MT - How often do you get to go outside and explore our beautiful state?

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Being here in Montana, no matter where you are, certainly comes with its perks. The remarkable, unique wildlife is certainly one of them. Hunters and fishermen alike flock to the Treasure State regularly to bask in the ample opportunities Montana provides for both sports. Even those who love to bird watch, participate in wildlife photography, or just hang out and casually appreciate the beautiful and thriving world around them all find Montana to be one of the best.

However, there's a lot more than to Montana wildlife than what meets the eye, and though you may have heard of the interesting statistics around our Grizzly or Moose population, I bet you didn't know about most of these.

Here are some of the 5 most interesting facts about Montana wildlife.

1. Grizzly Bears

You may have heard that Montana is one of the few states left in the U.S. that has native grizzlies, but did you know that Montana is home to the second-largest population of Grizzlies out of the 50 states? There are about 2,100 of them here in the state, with the population slowly but steadily rising. They are predominantly found in the Northern Continental Divide, Greater Yellowstone, Cabinet-Yaak, and Bitterroot areas.

2. Elk Population

The state of Montana has a massive population of elk; so massive, in fact, that it has the largest elk herd in all of the United States. The impressive animals are particularly abundant in areas like the Rocky Mountains, and love to hang out in front of people's cars in Yellowstone.

3. One-of-a-kind Fish

Montana boasts waterways that are fantastic to float down and fish for the day. Those waterways are home to several native-to-Montana fish species, such as the Westslope Cutthroat Trout and the Arctic Grayling. In fact, there are 57 known fish species that are native to Montana, with rare fish popping up all the time, like the Pygmy Whitefish.

4. Montana's Endemic Wildlife

Montana's endemic wildlife, which means wildlife found in only that region of the world, is fascinating and, honestly, pretty darn cool. We're lucky enough to be home to species like the Wolverine and the Pika—both unique to this region of the planet. Sadly, there are an estimated 300 individual wolverines left in the mountains of Montana, Wyoming, and other nearby states, though Montana is key in protection of wolverines with its sanctuaries.

Sidenote: have you seen how cute pikas are?

5. Montana's Mammals

No other state boasts as many native mammal species as Montana does, with 115 mammal species being recorded to date. Some highlights include: American Bison, Bighorn Sheep, Moose, Whitetail Deer, Coyotes, and even Spotted Skunks.

If you live here in Montana, you are surely lucky to be here and enjoying everything the state has to offer. Now get out there and do some appreciating!