Above our camp the peaks of Montana’s Gravelly Range line the horizon is like the teeth of a bear trap. In early October it is warm in the day, ten degrees at night, but there’s snow on the 11,000-foot peaks, and John Helle is anxious to trail his last bands of sheep through the Notch while it’s still doable. Two weeks ago his other sheep crossed the 10,000 foot pass on their journey home.
The predators that prey on John’s sheep—black bears, grizzlies, mountain lions, coyotes, and reintroduced gray wolves—feel urgency too, for hard weather is coming, and creatures without a thick layer of fat won’t see spring.
Day or night, racing to investigate threats, John’s big white guard dogs warn predators off with sharp barks. To a sheepman, their incessant barking is comforting, and last night we fell asleep to the guard dog lullaby.
via Whisker Therapy