The Interagency Bison Management Program partners met at Chico Hot Springs Resort in early November. The partners include tribal representatives, state and federal officials. 

When the Park Service attempted to change some language in the group’s adaptive management plan, the executive officer of the Montana Department of Livestock protested.

But, there’s a lot more to this story than this one meeting. At play are simmering tensions between the State of Montana and the Park Service over managing the migratory bison that call Yellowstone National Park home for most of the year.

With me today is Brett French, outdoors editor at the Billings Gazette, who attended the gathering and has reported on Yellowstone bison for years. 

The Interagency Bison Management Program partners met at Chico Hot Springs Resort in early November. The partners include tribal representatives, state and federal officials. 
When the Park Service attempted to change some language in the group’s adaptive management plan, the executive officer of the Montana Department of Livestock protested.
But, there’s a lot more to this story than this one meeting. At play are simmering tensions between the State of Montana and the Park Service over managing the migratory bison that call Yellowstone National Park home for most of the year.
With me today is Brett French, outdoors editor at the Billings Gazette, who attended the gathering and has reported on Yellowstone bison for years.

Montana Untamed, hosted by Thom Bridge, covers the state's rugged landscape from hook and bullet to policy and science.

Montana Untamed, hosted by Thom Bridge, covers the state's rugged landscape from hook and bullet to policy and science.

Montana Untamed

Where should buffalo roam? Montana and Yellowstone clash over bison management

AI has come for the animals. 

When the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks unveiled its 43rd annual photo issue of Montana Outdoors on Jan. 1, the magazine carried an explanation on page 1: Magazine staff, editor Tom Dickson wrote the magazine had gone to great lengths to verify that photos submitted for the issue were, in fact, photos. 

Dickson's concern was that images produced by generative artificial intelligence — AI programs that create new material in response to a prompt — now often appear as realistic as actual photographs and could be submitted to the magazine for publication.

On today's episode, Joshua Murdock, natural resources reporter for the Missoulian newspaper, discusses his reporting on AI-generated wildlife imagery.

AI has come for the animals. 
When the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife &amp; Parks unveiled its 43rd annual photo issue of Montana Outdoors on Jan. 1, the magazine carried an explanation on page 1: Magazine staff, editor Tom Dickson wrote the magazine had gone to great lengths to verify that photos submitted for the issue were, in fact, photos. 
Dickson's concern was that images produced by generative artificial intelligence — AI programs that create new material in response to a prompt — now often appear as realistic as actual photographs and could be submitted to the magazine for publication.
On today's episode, Joshua Murdock, natural resources reporter for the Missoulian newspaper, discusses his reporting on AI-generated wildlife imagery.

Artificial animals: AI threatens photo competitions and conservation efforts

According to Dr. Matt Rinella, The grass-roots traditions that have defined hunting in America are being displaced by a hyper-commercialized pay-to-play model. 

In response, he has created an organization called Hunt Quietly, and what he calls a movement to combat this tainting of the principles of hunting. 

Through his writing and podcast he has stirred controversy and prompted plenty of debate in the hunting community.

Rinella, a research ecologist by day and lifelong hunter joins me on today's episode to explain his stance.

According to Dr. Matt Rinella, The grass-roots traditions that have defined hunting in America are being displaced by a hyper-commercialized pay-to-play model. 
In response, he has created an organization called Hunt Quietly, and what he calls a movement to combat this tainting of the principles of hunting. 
Through his writing and podcast he has stirred controversy and prompted plenty of debate in the hunting community.
Rinella, a research ecologist by day and lifelong hunter joins me on today's episode to explain his stance.

Hunt Quietly: Matt Rinella on the hyper-commercialization of hunting

As the year comes to a close I thought it would be a good time to gather our team of outdoors writers and put a bow on it.

I asked the reporters to send me some of their most important stories from 2023 so we could re-hash them for folks as the last episode of the year.

So with me today is Rob Chaney and Joshua Murdock, from the Missoulian, Brett French from the Billings Gazette, and Duncan Adams from the Montana Standard. All familiar voices if you’ve listened to the show in the past.

Some of these stories will also be familiar to habitual listeners. Topics we’ll discuss today will be E-Bikes in National Parks, Snowbowl ski area, tribal Bison hunting outside Yellowstone, and Anaconda’s urban mule deer.

As the year comes to a close I thought it would be a good time to gather our team of outdoors writers and put a bow on it.
I asked the reporters to send me some of their most important stories from 2023 so we could re-hash them for folks as the last episode of the year.
So with me today is Rob Chaney and Joshua Murdock, from the Missoulian, Brett French from the Billings Gazette, and Duncan Adams from the Montana Standard. All familiar voices if you’ve listened to the show in the past.
Some of these stories will also be familiar to habitual listeners. Topics we’ll discuss today will be E-Bikes in National Parks, Snowbowl ski area, tribal Bison hunting outside Yellowstone, and Anaconda’s urban mule deer.

Where should buffalo roam? Montana and Yellowstone clash over bison management

Montana Untamed

In 1 playlist(s)

Montana Untamed

Follow podcast

Recent clips