Underneath the big blue dome of “Big Sky Country” is a vast ecosystem that beckons adventurers to Montana and Yellowstone, America’s first national park. Just thirty minutes away from the park, but off the beaten path, lies Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, a secluded mountain getaway for guests and a home to insects, fish, amphibians, and animals that have called this area home for millennia.
Whether it’s the blue bird boxes you glimpse while golfing at the Rising Sun Course, the wildlife-safe fencing that separates the pastures as you ride a horse in the shadow of Emigrant Peak, or the healthy raptor that alights in the trees as you fly fish at the pond, Montana wildlife conservation programs are woven into the everyday experience of life at Mountain Sky and across the 30,000 acres and four ranches that comprise AMB West.
Understanding the Local Montana Ecosystem
Humans, wildlife and plant life are recognized as interconnected participants of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE)—a 22.6 million acre stretch across Montana, Wyoming and Idaho. No fence contains Yellowstone’s animals, making the Paradise Valley corridor an exciting place for any nature lover or wildlife watcher to visit.
“The Greater Yellowstone is the Serengeti of North America, host to robust populations of elk, mule deer, pronghorn, bighorn sheep and other ungulates. Nearly 300 species of birds, 16 fish species, five amphibians, six reptiles and 67 species of mammals may all be found in the GYE.” ~ Legacy of the Land, Sarah Harrison Grigg
Since 2001, Arthur M. Blank and his family have sought to protect the legacy of ranching culture and prioritized wildlife habitat preservation in all decisions made for the properties. Peter Brown is the Senior Program Officer of Environment for The Arthur M Blank Family Foundation and provides support for conservation projects for AMB West. Terance Eichhorn, the Land, Livestock and Conservation Manager at AMB West, implements and oversees the conservation programs that protect wildlife across all four ranches.
“It’s becoming increasingly rare to find a part of the world that holds such rich history and legacy, yet is still so untouched and unobstructed by the distractions around us. That’s what drew my family to visit and ultimately purchase Mountain Sky Guest Ranch – the beauty of the land, the wildlife and the people who make it come alive.” ~ Arthur M. Blank
Sustainable Land Use in Action
From the smallest insect and amphibian to the largest megafauna, each species plays an important part in shaping one of the largest nearly-intact temperate-zone ecosystems on the planet. One of the challenges of environmental stewardship is managing migrating wildlife, including one of the biggest elk herds in North America.
In order to support the safe passage of wildlife across the ranches within their traditional migratory pathways, Eichhorn and his team remove unnecessary fences or replace fences with wildlife safe designs. As you hike the grasslands, you may note fences with a lowered top wire and higher bottom wire, allowing larger wildlife to safely jump over and smaller wildlife to pass underneath. AMB West also supports Yellowstone Safe Passages, an organization studying and identifying locations on Highway 89 where crossing structures could be installed for the safe passage of wildlife.
The Yellowstone River, Big Creek and other waterways weave through the landscape beckoning wildlife and recreationalists alike. Riparian (river) areas are extremely important across the world, since 74 to 90% of wildlife species use these areas for water, nesting, food and shelter.
Working ranches, including Mountain Sky, also use these waterways for irrigation to grow and harvest hay for horses and cattle to eat in the winter. Every year, Eichhorn and his team improve irrigation infrastructure and efficiency to use the least amount of water possible to produce hay for livestock. Sustainable land and water use is necessary to ensure there is enough water for trout and wildlife as well as domesticated animals.
During the off-season at Mountain Sky, the team also implements “quiet zones,” or closure periods, so that wildlife have exclusive use of winter range habitat at their most vulnerable time of year. Throughout the year, AMB West ranches partner with state wildlife agencies to study grizzly bears, elk, mountain goats and antelope. They place camera traps and radio collars and collect biological samples from elk harvested on the ranch to determine the best ecosystem management practices.
Through the AMB West Hunting Program, AMB West hosts sustainable hunting through a lottery system for Montana residents. The program requires all who hunt to use non-toxic, copper-based ammo to protect scavenging raptors from lead toxicity. They also turn in samples of the animals to the state wildlife agencies to assess the health and prevalence of disease in local elk and deer herds.
“We’re the largest ranch implementing the non-toxic ammo program in Montana. It has a significant impact on reducing lead toxicity in raptors across the region.” ~ Peter Brown, Senior Program Officer of Environment, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
Keeping Mountain Sky Guests and Animals Safe
Guests fill their days at Mountain Sky with over a dozen outdoor activities. From cattle work and archery to fly fishing and golf, every adventure is an opportunity to witness wildlife moving about their habitat. A team of trained guides help guests use trails responsibly and leave no trace.
The forested areas around the guest cabins provide an idyllic setting to view marmots, chipmunks, foxes, deer and moose as they pass through. Guests are encouraged to enjoy this vantage point but never approach or feed wildlife. Education on how to live in harmony with wildlife begins with Mountain Sky’s kids program and is available to every guest as they navigate the ranch ecosystem. The safe distance for viewing wildlife outside of a cabin or vehicle is 100 yards away from megafauna, and at least 25 yards away from all other animals.
From its inception, Rising Sun Golf Course was planned around habitat preservation and was the first golf course in Montana to achieve the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary certification as a bird-friendly course. The Rising Sun team plants native pollinator species to attract insects, pollen-loving birds and insect-eating species. Areas of the course are left to grow wild to support birds, and bluebird boxes, swallow nests and boxes for American Kestrels, are hidden throughout the course. Rising Sun is one of the best golf courses in Montana and is an excellent place to bird watch as you perfect your golf swing.
Building a Future of Stewardship
Just as each species plays its role in an ecosystem, it takes a whole community of staff, guests, state and non-profit agencies for successful ecosystem management. Each guest who visits Mountain Sky Guest Ranch is contributing to a tradition of Montana wildlife conservation and sustainable land use allowing us to live in harmony with the diverse native wildlife in Paradise Valley.
AMB West has placed conservation easements on acreage across the properties to ensure sustainable environmental stewardship for future generations. When our youngest guests return with their children and grandchildren, we hope they will witness the same jaw-dropping vistas and realize the power they have to protect the natural treasures of the Treasure State.
Mountain Sky Guest Ranch’s conservation efforts are only a small part of the ranch experience. Check out our many family-oriented packages.
