blackfoot-valley

There are black bears on the Ranch, but it is not home today to griz- zlies. Their usual range begins in the rough country north of Ovando. Occa- sionally a stray grizzly has been spotted in the Ranch area. In the year 2000, a large male wandered onto the property. Likewise, moose normally range in areas farther north; however, isolated sightings have been reported. Moun- tain lions exist in the hills around, as they do in the back country of all west- ern states and western Canada. (They are named “America’s ghost cat” as they avoid humans and are rarely seen. In 2000, the remains of a deer killed by a mountain lion were found on the Wales Ranch.) Although the chance of a hostile encounter with any of these potentially dangerous animals is small, hikers in the woods are advised to keep their eyes open and periodically make noises to avoid even the tiniest possibility of surprising one. Hikers will be re- lieved that there are no poisonous snakes in the area. Lots of trout: rainbow, bull, and native westslope cutthroat are found in the Blackfoot. 35