Wildlife Habitat
Montana provides habitat for 109 mammals, 456 birds, 15 bat species, and over 90 fish species with 226 of these animals being species of concern and 59 having special status (rare, threatened or endangered). With around 23% of Montana's forests being on private land, private land owners play a large role in providing habitat for wildlife. There are many ways to improve and maintain wildlife habitat on your property, including managing for specific wildlife species or managing for wildfire risk with wildlife in mind. How you choose to manage wildlife habitat on your forest will depend on your goals as a forest landowner.
Resources are provided below to assist you with managing habitat on your forest land.
Wildlife Identification
The Montana Natural Heritage Program (MNHP) Animal Field Guide provides detailed information on distribution, status, and ecology of Montana's animals.
All About Birds through the Cornell Lab of Ornithology offers an Online Guide to Birds with a link to download their Merlin ID app.
Through iNaturalist you can submit photos and recordings of species you do not know to a community of naturalist and experts for identification and to maintain a log of wildlife and plant sightings on your property.
Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Park's Wildlife Wednesday Videos go over various wildlife species across Montana through short, fun videos.
Forests as Habitat
Click to View Resources Below (PDF)
Additional Resources
Habitat Management
- NestWatch provides information and step-by-step plans on building bird houses for birds you want to attract.
- Woodland Fish & Wildlife provides information on fish and wildlife habitat management to private woodland owners through illustrative publications.
- The Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program through U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service provides free technical and financial assistance to landowners interested in improving wildlife habitat on their land.
- Montana Fish, WIldlife, and Parks Landowners and Habitat programs are available to landowners to conserve, restore, and protect habitat in Montana.
- Montana Outdoors, a bimonthly magazine published by Montana FWP, covers a variety of wildlife related topics in Montana.
Wildlife Conflict & Damage
Below are links to resources to assist private landowners with preventing and reducing wildlife damage and conflict.
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks Bear Aware resources cover how to avoid attracting bears if you live in bear country and how to be prepared to deal with bear encounters.
- Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks Landowners and Hunting programs assist with game damage and help landowners with public hunting access.
- Oregon State University Extension's Living with Wildlife page contains a collection of articles and publications on wildlife damage.