Matthews Wilderness Expeditions

05/19/2023

The famous Grizzly, "399" has emerged from her den with a cub.
Aged at 27, she is credited with adding more Bears to the GYE than any Bear in history.
Sadly, many of the cubs grow to live near roads & become problems. Going against the Endangered Species Act bear management plan.

05/18/2023

LIKE / SHARE / FOLLOW

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗲𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗶𝗼𝗿𝘀 in American Indian Nations.

In the movies, male warriors rode off to do battle while their female counterparts remained behind to cook, sew, and take care of the camp.

In real life, this wasn’t necessarily the case. There were many warrior women that fought alongside men. The most famous of these was probably "Buffalo Calf Road Woman", a member of the Northern Cheyenne tribe who fought in the Battle of the Rosebud and the Battle of Little Bighorn.

According to elders of the Northern Cheyenne tribe, it was she who dealt Custer his final deadly blow. Buffalo Calf Road Woman is just one of many incredible women we didn’t learn about in history class.

Her legend will live on next month, as tribal members and historical actors come together to recreate the Battle of the Little Bighorn in the rolling plains of Montana.

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Sharing our Sense of Place...
Natural & Cultural History
Wildlife News & more...

05/17/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

Mors Kochanski, a well-known bushcraft and survival instructor, developed the "5 C's of survivability," which are a set of essential items that every person should have with them when venturing into the wilderness or during a survival situation. The 5 C's are:

1. Cutting Tool: A cutting tool is essential for building shelter, gathering firewood, and preparing food. A sturdy fixed blade knife or a folding saw are good options.

2. Combustion Device: A reliable combustion device is necessary for starting fires, which are essential for warmth, cooking, and signaling for help. A lighter or waterproof matches are good options, but having a ferrocerium rod or magnesium fire starter as a backup is a good idea.

3. Cover: A shelter or some form of cover is necessary to protect against the elements. A lightweight tarp, a poncho, or a tent are good options.

4. Container: A container is essential for carrying and purifying water, as well as for cooking and storing food. A stainless steel water bottle or a metal cooking pot are good options.

5. Cordage: Cordage is useful for tying shelters together, making snares for hunting, and repairing gear. 550 Paracord is a popular choice.

The 5 C's of survivability are a helpful tool for anyone who spends time in the wilderness or for anyone who wants to be prepared for a survival situation. By having these essential items with you, you increase your chances of surviving and thriving during a crisis.

By John Mann / Prepared Wanderer

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Sharing our Sense of Place...
Natural & Cultural History
Wildlife News & more...
Montana & Alaska

05/16/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

The Athabascan name for Kanuti is "Kk'toonootne" which translates to "well traveled river by both man and animals." Kanuti Refuge is about the size of the state of Delaware and straddles the Arctic Circle, with approximately a third of the Refuge above the Circle and two-thirds below it. Kanuti Refuge is a prime example of Alaska's boreal ecosystem, the forests of which are dominated by black and white spruce.

We ran into this wolf pack in the Kanuti at the on-set of winter a few years ago- just west of the Dalton Highway.
They were just as surprised to see us, as we were to see them .

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Sharing our Sense of Place...
Natural & Cultural History
Wildlife News & more...
Montana & Alaska

05/01/2023

LIKE / SHARE / FOLLOW

CLIMATE CASUALITIES: The Three Bears

An “Aha!” moment, my climate change awakening.

Barter Island (Kaktovik), Alaska is one of the premier places in the World, to photograph Polar Bears. Several years ago, I was with a group of photographers and film-makers on an expedition to the region and we had seen more than 40 bears in a two-week period.

One morning I went out early to walk the coast, and as I crested a small dune- I saw this Mother bear with two cubs, walking the beach towards me. I stopped, took a few photos and then walked back to the village- the three bears followed me.

All that day, the mom and cubs tried to enter the village. The village police officer and the Polar Bear Patrol worked relentlessly hazing the bears with ATV’s and shotgun cracker rounds trying to keep the bears from coming into town. It finally worked, the three bears turned away and walked back to the coast and headed towards the whale-carcass that attracts bears to the area.

Later that night, at around 2:00am the three bears decided to come back to town. They were starving- the whale carcass was picked over, there was no meat left, and due to the lack of ice-floes, and the great distance between the land and pack ice, the bears had essentially become land-locked and unable to hunt.

So, they took to scavenging and raiding the village. First, they went to a small bin that stored whale meat for a family- it had an electric fence around it. They crashed through the fence, raided the container, and ate the little meat that was there.

Next, they headed across the village, and ended up at a whaling captains house. Inside his meat locker was a winters supply of whale meat for he and his family. The locker was adjoining the house, the door to the meat supply was right below his bedroom window....

It must be an incredibly loud and startling moment, when three polar bears crash through a door just below your bedroom window.

I can’t imagine the alarm and panic that the captain and his family must have felt when they were awoken by the noise of three bears ransacking their home.

The captain did what any father, and family guardian would do- he jumped out of bed, grabbed his gun and shot the intruding bear. Sadly, after stopping the first bear, he realized that the two other bears were cubs, and that without their mother’s guidance and protection they would never make it in the wild, so he quickly dispatched them as well. It was a tragic ending to three beautiful bears.

The next morning the town was abuzz with the news of the three bears death. My friends and I quickly ran over to see what had happened. Walking up on the scene will always be burned into my memory. The stark contrast between the blood and the snow, the weather-beaten blue church in the background, the sound of the seagulls, the smell, it is an image you don’t easily forget.

Standing there- I was speechless, upset, and outraged. These three bears, that just the day before, I had shared this wild, once-in-a-lifetime moment with, were now right in front of me dead, and skinned out. I was furious.

At first, I wanted to blame the captain- then the village, or myself for leading them into town... but then- ”A-Ha!”

I realized that warmer temperatures, loss of sea ice, changing conditions, and habitat loss (climate change) have consequences and casualties and we are all in this together.
We all share the blame.
---------------------

LIKE / SHARE / FOLLOW
Sharing our Sense of Place...
Natural & Cultural History,
Travel Stories, Wildlife News & more...
Join us for the Trip of a Lifetime!
www.MatthewsWild.com

For further reading : https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70036174

05/01/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

One of the highlights of visiting Alaskan Native Villages is admiring the arts and homemade clothing of the Iñupiat and Yupik peoples.

Historically Alaska Native clothing expressed the wearers skills, wealth and ethnic identity. Today it's renowned for its color, design and craftsmanship.

Here is a great article about traditional clothing amongst the different groups and regions throughout Alaska.

https://alaskamagazine.com/authentic-alaska/culture/alaska-native-clothing/?fbclid=IwAR3Xc0WbYzWDgm1psat-IAlmqPAijfITKl_NecBMCJbiH6tDI8SjWX-dd8I

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Sharing our Sense of Place...
Natural & Cultural History
Wildlife News & more....
MatthewsWild.com

04/30/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Montana is home to both American Indians and Cowboys. Our tours like to emphasize both cultures and allow guests to interact with both.
Cowboy culture is alive and well in Montana, and visitors are often surprised after meeting and interacting with real working cowboys.
Here is a great article that dives deeper into what it means to be a Montana cowboy.

https://mountainjournal.org/in-time-of-trump-what-it-means-to-be-a-real-cowboy?fbclid=IwAR2oD4YQBeJlx8Ajv5w7KmUZbVf8ywkTQEUZ79-2VMuW_kr3oLyQSJC7oLg

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Sharing our Sense of Place...
Natural & Cultural History
Wildlife News & more...
Montana & Alaska

04/28/2023

Grand Teton has extended 2 existing wildlife closures to protect bighorn sheep due to persistent winter conditions & deep snowpack. Existing closures near the summits of Static Peak, Mount Hunt & Prospectors Mountain are extended through 5/15/23.

Info: go.nps.gov/hjghh6

307-739-3399 Talk to a Ranger? To speak to a Grand Teton National Park ranger call 307–739–3399 for visitor information Monday-Friday during business hours.

04/25/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

We love visiting Jackson, WY in the Spring. Mid-May brings Elk Fest to town, as well as, a Mountain Man Rendezvous, and an American Indian Pow Wow.

The weather isn't ideal yet, so it's not crowded with tourists. But it is filled with people from around the region.

The Elk Antler Auction is the highlight of the weekend, people bring shed antlers they've collected from around the area and auction them off.

The weekend also is the opening day for shed antler collectors to get into the National Elk Refuge. Proceeds raised go to the local Jackson Hole Boy Scouts. Rumor has it, they are the most well-funded Scout troop in the Nation.

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Sharing our Sense of Place
Cultural & Natural History
Wildlife News & More...

04/24/2023

Scientific investigation at Wyoming’s Little Mountain area puts solid data to a previously just suspected correlation: the closer deer live to elk, the skinnier they get.

04/23/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
The Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana) is a species of artiodactyl mammal indigenous to interior western and central North America. Though not an antelope, it is often known colloquially in North America as the prong buck, pronghorn antelope, cabri (native American) or simply antelope because it closely resembles the true antelopes of the Old World and fills a similar ecological niche due to convergent evolution. It is the only surviving member of the family Antilocapridae. During the Pleistocene period, 12 antilocaprid species existed in North America. About five existed when humans entered North America, but all except A. americana are now extinct.

It can run exceptionally fast, being built for maximum predator evasion through running, and is generally accepted to be the fastest land mammal in the Western Hemisphere. The top speed is very hard to measure accurately and varies between individuals; it can run 35 mph for 4 mi (56 km/h for 6 km), 42 mph for 1 mi (67 km/h for 1.6 km); and 55 mph for 0.5 mi (88.5 km/h for .8 km). It is often cited as the second-fastest land animal, second only to the Cheetah.

Words & pics by Jim Walker. He saw these Pronghorns along the Jefferson River northeast of Twin Bridges, Montana.
--------
Pronghorn are just one the amazing animals we see on our trips

LIKE / FOLLOW /SHARE
Sharing our Sense of Place
Natural & Cultural History
Wildlife News & More...

04/21/2023

I've often seen bears on the exact same date, a year or two later in nearly the same spot as in previous years. Moms teach their cubs- they pass down the knowledge of where food sources are annually. Generations of bears walk in the same tracks...

04/20/2023

Our old friend the Trickster

04/19/2023

The Northern Flicker, one of the many fascinating birds we see in the ecosystems we visit.

04/19/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

For many of us today, we associate the word Absaroka with the mountain range, or the designated Wilderness Area in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

We like to remind our guests & visitors that Absaroka is named for the American Indian tribe who historically lived in this region.

Called the Crow or, the Apsáalooke, Absaroka, and Apsaroke. Their name was given them by the Hidatsa, and meant “people [or children] of the large-beaked bird.” Historically, they lived in the Yellowstone River Valley. A Siouan tribe, they once were part of the Hidatsa, living around the headwaters of the upper Mississippi River in northern Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Later, the Crow moved to the Devil’s Lake region of North Dakota, before splitting with the Hidatsa and moving westward.
Settling in Montana, the tribe split once again into two divisions, called the Mountain Crow and the River Crow. They were first encountered by two Frenchmen in 1743 near the present-day town of Hardin, Montana. When the Lewis and Clark expedition came upon them in 1804, they estimated some 350 lodges with about 3,500 members.

Today the tribe is based South of Billings, Montana. We visit their current and historical homelands on our trips and often give our guests the opportunity to meet and interact with tribal members to hear their stories.

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
For Cultural & Natural History
Wildlife News & more...

04/18/2023

Interesting development.

Dozens of scientists from universities and environmental groups are pushing for the removal of the head of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

04/18/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

The photo Grand Slam of North American Wild Sheep. The Rocky Mountain Bighorn, the Desert Bighorn, the Dall Sheep and Stone Sheep. I've been fortunate enough to see them all on my adventures.

Wild sheep are found only in the the Great Arc, a range stretching from the western part of North America up through Alaska, across eastern Siberia, and down through Central Asia where they inhabit steep mountainous areas.
Wild sheep can live on very cold, dry mountains as high up as 1,200m- and some breeds such as Urials can live even higher up.

A fantastic book to learn more about Wild Sheep is by James Clark, called "The Great Arc of the Wild Sheep". It's out of print and from the 1960's but it's a fun read from a Naturalist perspective.

What I love about Wild Sheep is they are a symbol of wild mountainous regions. If you're somewhere and seeing wild sheep- you know you're somewhere wild! Our trips can take you to the see all four of the North American varieties.

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

Natural & Cultural History
Wildlife News & more...

04/18/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

Photo of LEGGINGS at North Dakota’s Mandan Reservation, 1903. Miles City (Montana) photographer L.A. Huffman.

Huffman captured Leggings squinting under a bright sun. Leggings wore ceremonial dress in front of an earthen lodge. The Mandan were not migratory. They did not live in tepees and were among the few Northern Plains tribes who farmed. About 370 full-blood Mandan have survived. For many decades, observers had noted variations in skin tones and eye colors (hazel, grey, and even blue) among the Mandan.
L.A. Huffman photographed the view while accompanying historian Olin D. Wheeler, who was interviewing Mandan near Bismarck (ND) for background on his book, "The Trail of Lewis and Clark." Huffman, starting in 1879, took his bulky camera into the field to capture buffalo hunts, bronco bustings, cattle roundups, and other scenes of the Old West.

Many of our trips go to Eastern Montana and the Dakota's, showing you different perspectives and different cultures beyond the mass tourism of Yellowstone.

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE
Cultural & Natural History
Wildlife News and more...

04/18/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

Olaus Murie was a naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist who did groundbreaking field research on a variety of large northern mammals. Much of his work was in the regions our trips visit today: Denali, the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. He has been a major influence on how we view the Natural World and how we teach and share about wildlife.

Rather than conducting empirical experiments, Murie practiced a more observational-based science.

Murie focused his research on the North American continent by conducting vast studies throughout Canada, Alaska and Wyoming. Through these constructive yet sometimes treacherous trips, Murie was able to gain valuable experience observing species and collecting specimens. During his first expedition to Canada, Murie discovered his passion for fieldwork and was able to develop resourceful skills from his Eskimo and Indian guides, which were critical for his survival in such a harsh environment. Murie employed many of these same skills as he travelled to Alaska and finally to Wyoming.

These trips served as the foundation for many of his key ideas about wildlife management and conservation. As a scientist of the U.S. Biological Survey, Murie developed key ideas concerning predator prey relationships. Generally unheard of during his time, Murie argued that a healthy predator population was key to ensuring a harmonious balance between predator and prey populations. Murie used these ideas to improve current wildlife management practices.

Throughout his life, Murie advocated on behalf of wildlife conservation and management.

He also loved sled dogs and travel. We make it a point to take our groups by The Murie cabin anytime we are in the area.

Natural & Cultural History,
Wildlife News & More...

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

04/17/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

Every Spring we pack up our sled dogs in Yellowstone and make the 2000 mile journey North to Alaska. We drove along side this Grizzly for a few minutes near the BC & Yukon border.

Most of the drive is through, some of the wildest, most beautiful mountains and wilderness scenery you can imagine.

However, there are some areas where the wilds are fragmented and broken up due to development, agriculture or oil and gas drilling.

The Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative is a joint Canada-U.S. not-for-profit organization and dedicated to securing the long-term ecological health of this entire region.

Their vision is an interconnected system of wild lands and waters stretching from Yellowstone to Yukon, harmonizing the needs of people with those of nature. Keeping it a place where Grizzlies can roam free!
To learn more : https://y2y.net

Natural & Cultural History,
Wildlife News & More...

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

04/16/2023

04/16/2023

LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

"Scientist in Northern Alaska are learning about polar bears by scraping snow samples from the tracks they leave behind."

https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/science/2023/04/15/scientists-are-identifying-polar-bears-in-alaska-by-the-dna-left-on-their-footprints/?fbclid=IwAR1rcQrdzFVDHQ9RPdDA4uBRkG_ScAPug1RJZk5lu13em0mmCfnvMbYetsU

Natural & Cultural History
LIKE / FOLLOW / SHARE

04/15/2023

Ravens play an important role in the ecosystem's we visit. We always keep our eyes open for them, to help us find other wildlife...

The raven is among the most intelligent of all birds and has been known to pull an ice fisherman's line from the water to dine on fish. They have more than 30 vocalizations, even the capacity to mimic human speech.

This stunning image is not a photograph - it's a charcoal drawing by Wyoming-based artist Doug Monson, and is being shown as part of the Birds of the Rockies competition at the Brinton Museum in Big Horn, Wyoming from May 4 to July 2.

04/14/2023

This summer join us, on a family appropriate float trip down the Jefferson River Canoe Trail in Montana!

The Jefferson River Canoe Trail retraces by water an essential segment of the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail along the entire length of the Jefferson River in southwest Montana.

The Lewis and Clark Expedition towed dugout canoes up the Jefferson River in 1805 in search of a navigable water route to the Pacific. Most present-day travelers prefer to follow the trail in reverse, floating down the Jefferson River in search of fun and fishing. The entire length of the river is Class I water, suitable for beginning paddlers, except during runoff season in spring.
Message us for details...

04/04/2023

Montana has a rich and diverse American Indian heritage. Many of our trips visit Native sights and cultural events. One of our favorite local events is the MSU pow wow. Held every year in April, for us, it's a sign of Spring.

04/03/2023

Coyote Talk... learn about one of Yellowstone's iconic wild animals

TUE. APR 4 at 6:30 PM (MDT). Presented by Western Wildlife Conservancy. Registration required.

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_xwi9uZq_SzSNIWkNOfU5gQ