SYMBOL OF THE WILDERNESS
Montana
High in the mountains of Montana lives one of the most elusive carnivores in North America — the wolverine. Rare, powerful, and almost never seen, it has earned a reputation that borders on myth, yet few ever witness one in the wild.
In early spring, I hiked into the high country to check a remote camera I had set for mountain lions. A light spring snowfall had blanketed the landscape overnight, though much of it had already melted under the warmth of the afternoon sun by the time I arrived at my camera. Beneath the tree, I found a fresh cougar scrape — a good sign that the location was being used. I opened the camera housing and began scrolling through the frames I had captured: skunks, a mountain lion… and then I stopped. There it was. A wolverine.
The conditions couldn’t have been better—fresh snow, fog lifting from the mountains, and early morning light spilling across the scene. Seeing one of Montana’s rarest animals appear on my screen, exactly where I’d hoped but never expected, felt almost unreal. Moments like this are why I keep returning to the wilderness, investing time, patience, and trust in remote cameras. Photo © copyright by Zack Clothier.