Habitat & Conservation  |  06/18/2025

PODCAST EP. 318: Pronghorns, Sage Grouse, and Migrating Across Big Sky’s Grasslands


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Host Bob St.Pierre is joined by The Nature Conservancy’s Kelsey Molloy, Wyoming Migration Initiative’s Andrew Jakes, Pheasants Forever’s Casey Sill and PF’s Montana State Coordinator Hunter VanDonsel for a discussion regarding the Montana Grassland Initiative. The dialogue spans the objectives for the initiative, emphasizing its advantages for Montana’s diverse wildlife species as well as the farming and ranching community.

Episode Highlights:
  • VanDonsel kicks off the conversation with a poignant narrative about walking across a Montana grassland while carrying his newborn daughter against his chest. This experience inspired VanDonsel to conceive the Montana Grassland Initiative and solidify his career aspirations.
  • Molloy and Jakes explain the significance of Montana’s sagebrush habitat for sage grouse and pronghorn, particularly during their migration periods.
  • Jakes further discusses the distinct nature of pronghorns in North America, noting that their closest relative is Africa’s giraffe.

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