Incredibly lucky Independence Day wildlife sighting in mountains of Montana where a hiker laid eyes on one of only 100 resident wolverines in the state.
Ryan Connor new it was special seeing this critter run across the rugged alpine landscape but didn’t appreciate not just how special it was until he got back home and googled the species. Montana’s 147,040 square mile landmass is home to roughly 100 wolverines, that means there is approximately one wolverine for every 1,470 square miles.
“Wolverine Spotting! We knew it was special when we spotted this guy on the 4th of July, but we did not know how special it really was until we got home and googled more about them.” -Ryan Connor
In the western United States, wolverines typically occupy vast, remote, high-elevation habitats and getting to see one in person is exceedingly rare. Since 2013 the mid-size carnivore from the weasel family has fluctuated between being listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to having no federal protections in the United States. A series of court cases over the last decade have resulted in restoration of ESA threatened status in 2022, with a review status under way to finalize listing.
Witnessing one of the Montana’s rarest animals is beyond special on a normal day, seeing one on the 250th Anniversary of these United States is just about as cool as it gets!
Wolverine Size and Behavior
- 38–47 inches long, 13–31 pounds.
- Opportunistic eaters. Eat burrowing rodents, birds, eggs, beavers, squirrels, marmots, mice, and vegetation (including whitebark pine nuts).
- Active year-round, intermittently throughout the day.
- Breed April to October; one litter of 2–4 young each year. Females give birth in dens excavated in snow.
- Den in deep snow, under log jams, and uprooted trees in avalanche chutes.
- Mostly solitary except when breeding.
