The Campsite

There is a place on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front that attracts all that is wild. It just so happens that this place is on the Boone and Crockett Club’s Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch. The place is called The Campsite, and it’s truly special. Here, grizzly bears chase moose, mature mule deer bucks plow through snow drifts, mountain lions slink by at night, bull elk literally run into trees, and so much more. And perhaps the most beautiful thing? It’s all caught on video. 

Chris Hansen, Ph.D. candidate and Boone and Crockett Fellow at the University of Montana, has spent countless hours, days even, sifting through trail cam videos to bring you the best of all four seasons at The Campsite. He’s responsible for placing a trail camera there. In fact, he’s responsible for placing upwards of three dozen cameras across one of the wildest landscapes in the Lower 48. Why does The Campsite attract so much diversity? 

“Good question!” Hansen says. “Usually, areas near streams are good places to catch a variety of critters that are coming in for a drink or looking for cover. There was also a two-track in front of the camera that doesn't get a lot of vehicle traffic, so I think animals were using it as a movement pathway.” 

Whatever the secret, we hope you enjoy this eight-minute compilation that offers a window into a truly wild and unique place. 

More Trailcam Images and Videos

All images and associated video © 2021 The University of Montana