POLSON — Wildlife populations are crucial indicators of how an ecosystem is doing.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) have been checking their big game numbers through aerial surveys for years.
"We're really monitoring for overall population trends in the different species," CSKT Wildlife Program Manager Kari Kingery said.
Watch to learn more about how the CSKT is monitoring the ecosystem:
Tracking huge herds across a landscape can be quite the challenge.
"Any critter you find in Montana, we'll probably find here," Kingery noted.
That's why the CSKT has been taking to the skies since the 1990s.
"Originally we would have two biologists up in a helicopter and we'd fly these different survey routes," Kingery explained.
However, that presented its own problems, since wildlife can be hard to spot with the naked eye.
"A helicopter flying really low, that's a lot of disturbance. A lot of times, you're moving animals around on the landscapes," Kingery detailed.
Now, CSKT contracts with Owyhee Air Research out of Idaho to conduct infrared, quiet grid searching missions.
"They're flying usually right at dawn and dusk and they're up so high that a lot of times animals don't even realize or notice. It's a lot less stress on the animals. We get a better count because the infrared technology allows us to detect more wildlife," Kingery shared.
The reservation is divided into 18 units to make sure each area is covered at least once every five years.
"Most of our flying this year is going to be in kind of the western part of the reservation. Our Ferry Basin elk management area will be flown. We'll be flying over the bison range to get total counts for bison and other big game species," Kingery said.
Not only is CSKT watching population numbers, but they're also looking at movement patterns and chosen habitats.
"We've really been able to track from the 60s where the different wildlife or where the different big game species have expanded their range or shifted in some areas," Kingery said.
Chronic wasting disease was detected on the Flathead Reservation this year and wildlife managers want to learn more about how it affects big game populations and make sure hunters aren't exposed.
"It's really important to know how those populations are being affected and how it could be spreading so that we do continue to have, you know, sustainable populations into the future," Kingery stated.
Flights will take place at dawn and dusk, potentially through Christmas.
