Thus far much of our summer has been spent on the slippery talus of the Bridger Mountain range in hopes of finding sign of pika. The countless data entry points taken quickly become tedious, making this week’s trip to the Crazy Mountain range a welcome relief.

For the past five years April has been making the two hour drive to the Crazies in order to monitor an active pika population. The mid-elevation alpine location which she regularly monitors has multiple pikas actively haying during the summer season. The density of the pika population area makes it a good area in which to collect genetics information. In order to collect DNA from a certain pika, April must collect fresh scat samples. Scat samples can be found in hay piles or from latrine sites. Pikas create hay piles from grasses, forbs, shrubs and trees in order to stash food that they eat throughout the coming winter. When collecting scat it is important to disturb the haypile as little as possible in order to ensure that the pika will return, while being careful not to contaminate the sample. Once a sample is taken it is sent to a lab in Reno Nevada for analysis. This week we were able to collect scat samples from four separate hay piles from one area in the Crazies.        

The data collected this week will be added to the years of genetic data that April has compiled thus far. She has taken data in the Crazies as well as other ranges in Montana. In analyzing the results that are returned from the lab she hopes to discover what genetic similarities and variations pikas have from across the state. 


This week will be spent continuing an extensive survey in near Emerald Lake in the Hyalite National Forest, and Max' last!

Recently April and I drove through the winding roads of Hyalite Canyon, past the reservoir to the Hyalite Peak trailhead. Our goal that day was not to climb the lofty peak, which looms over Bozeman, MT, but rather to check in on the pika populations that are present along the popular hiking trail. The area which we surveyed included only the first mile and a half of trail, which is extremely popular as it easily accesses the beautiful Grotto falls. We were happy to find that some populations persisted through the winter, especially pleased as the area sees heavy traffic from ice climbers and backcountry skiers, causing compaction in the snow. Further up the trail and within 100 yards of Grotto falls the case was not the same.

            Historically April has observed numerous pika in the squat talus field that borders the last few steps of the Grotto Falls trail. Yet on our most recent visit, a bustling Thursday afternoon she was not able to find any signs of active pika populations. April has been visiting the site annually for the last few years, during which time she has observed a decline in pika inhabitance. We speculated on what was causing this decline. Many factors could account for the decline, one possibility  is the increased human presence within pika habitat. It has become increasingly popular for hikers to build rock art on the talus field, the practice, while appealing may have taken a toll on pikas living so near to the falls.

            Although pikas do have a high tolerance for human contact, with hay piles being found within ten feet of roadsides, and claims that pika have been found in backyard rock walls, it does seem as though there is a threshold for what pikas can withstand. While we cannot be sure that the Grotto Falls pika population declined due to human impacts, we do urge you to be aware of the fragile ecosystems that surround you while enjoying the great outdoors.