The hoary marmot (Marmota caligata) lives in rockslides at high elevations in Idaho. Don't find them very often; gotta really look. We have one other marmot species, the yellowbellied marmot, aka rockchuck, that lives at much lower elevations, and much more common. Far as I know, we have no woodchucks in the state. Technically, the hoary marmot is not listed as a furbearer, but I've seen some real beautiful coats in Alaska made from pelts. This guy was living in some rocks near camp on one of my caribou hunts in Alaska.







Jack

Cute little varmints.

I've seen these and the Yellow Bellied version here . If you've ever had a chance to drive up the Beartooth Pass, it is a world unto itself, Jack. Among the highest passes (almost 10,000 ft...at the pass), the terrain becomes surreal, huge rounded boulders amid lush grasses. That pass is in the southern part of my state. While up there, I have liked to park , get off the road, and just sit on one of those boulders and listen... Jagged mountain peaks , layered range after range, as far as you can see. And the Hoary Marmots were everywhere. Whistling at me. They loved parking on top of those huge round boulders .

I think you would love driving that pass and sitting for a while at the summit. I would love to do that again sometime.

Here's my only contribution to marmots. A painting that went on the cover of Varmint Hunter Magazine, many years ago. Back in '90. I also had much progress to make as a painter, as all artists do in refining themselves , over time and practice. It was fun doing this , and they sold prints of it in the later issues.

Thanks for the share, Jack.

Cool looking beasts, Jack. Marmots, the Yellow-bellied ones, are just Woodchucks wearing cowboy boots. They were all over the place in those rocky outcrops in the Snake River sagebrush plains and I hunted the heck out of them when I lived in Rigby, Idaho. Like Woodchucks, they were good eating. I regret not mounting up a couple after coming home.

I spent the night next to Palouse Falls in eastern WA. one night. Marmots were sunning on the rocks around the falls. I am guessing they were yellow bellies.They didn't seem very brave.

Then up near the head of Panther creek on a talus slope I saw what I suspect was a hoary marmot.

Kinda neat critters !

Sharon: were you offended by those marmots whistling at you ?

I whistled back at them. They looked shocked and hid. Evidently, they could dish it out but couldn't take it...

Typical !

Is that white color on the back year around color for them or do they change like weasels?

That's year-round coloration. That looks like hoar frost, thus their name (hoary marmot).

Jack

Here in PA we have the plain old Ground hog, woodchuck ,whistle pig and as called by many of the PA Dutch that settled the area GRUND DAUG. While most are not much like .They are a lot of fun the hunt at lomg range or stalking at 200 plus yards .

Always called them whistle pigs growing up. I thought that was their real name. An animal called a pika we called a rock rabbit. Some high altitude small lakes called Bushnel had quite a few of both. Hiking in to fish and camp when I was a kid my grandad told me they were good eating. He was quite a prankster. Cooked on a stick marmots taste ok but was one of the toughest meats I ever ate. I think both animals are protected now.

Here the wood chucks aren’t bad to eat, I’ve never figured out their point in life besides digging big holes and eating white clover.

They are there to feed the coyotes, bobcats, me, golden eagles, and other predators.

Marmots are neat animals and I always enjoy seeing them in the mountains. Never been anywhere with high numbers of them though.

Every critter in the food chain has it's place .chain . Man kind so unkind is the only one that does not uphold it's part of their job Nature never wastes any hair bone piece of food or fur We all need to see the beauty of nature But I really liked to spend so time hunting the whistle pig with a enter fire gun .

Charles Kuralt, remember him, said the Beartooth Pass was the prettiest road in the US.

I think CA 1 and 101 might create a 3-way tie.

It just about is that. Certainly one of the highest passes in this country.

There are two more gorgeous roads in my state...with the biggest cedars and hemlocks imagined. All in big mountains.

I would put a small list of gorgeous roads all together , but that also is subjective to the individual. They all have their unique beauty.

Beartooth pass is indeed one of a kind in habitat, that any biologist and geologist would love to spend time in. Someday I will definitely take the drive back down there to enjoy that road again. All you need is the right person with you, who will absorb and appreciate the details along with you.

Many on this forum always down play or demean higher education, but the demographics in the chart below show that there is a significant difference in income levels between educational levels and that may well include those who did not use their degrees. Many individuals may not choose to use their degrees but most employers pay attention to that kind of data. One does not need to becme "more liberal" by getting a degree, that is a personal choice. If you are going to a class to find out how liberal the staff is, versus learning usable skills then that is on you.
Bryce

https://www.bls.gov/careeroutlook/2021/data-on-display/education-pays.htm