Submitted Photo The Turtle Mountains of North Dakota is the focus of a combined research project to learn more about martens, one of the truly rare and unique species in all of North Dakota. Photo from NDGF.

My first game warden station was in Bottineau. Having spent time there in junior college the uniqueness of the Turtle Mountain’s fish, wildlife and habitat was part of the outdoors DNA, which gave northcentral North Dakota its own unique identity.

One of the few areas with huntable populations of ruffed grouse and the international shared waters of Lake Metigoshe was a draw for hunters, anglers and anyone who appreciates the array of species and opportunities. The forest of the Turtle Mountains was and still is one of my favorite spots in North Dakota.

I recall hearing about remains of resident caribou from the area. Jason Smith, Game and Fish Department big game biologist, acknowledges the research exists. Caribou at one time in North Dakota, just hard to fathom, isn’t it? On top of that I had no idea about the mysterious marten found in the area.

Fast forward to modern times and this special area and species found in the Turtle Mountains of North Dakota is the focus of a combined research project to learn more about one of the truly rare and unique species in the state.

The American marten is a small member of the weasel family, and people are probably more familiar with its semi-aquatic cousin, the mink.

While martens look similar to mink and are roughly the same size, the former are completely terrestrial and live above the ground in trees where they seek shelter and den in cavities to have their kits. Also, martens have slightly longer hair than a mink, and the throat, chest or chin patch is orange colored on a marten, whereas it’s white on mink. These terrestrial carnivores eat small rodents, such as mice, voles and squirrels, but they are also opportunistic, and they’ll prey on birds and bird nests as well.

“In North Dakota, we know American martens have been established in the Turtle Mountain region for several decades. The Turtle Mountain Provincial Park on the Canadian side of the border reintroduced or introduced marten to their forests back in the late 1980s early 1990s. And that’s why martens are on our side of the border as well, they’ve inhabited this entire eco region,” said Stephanie Tucker, department game management supervisor. “We’ve had a few confirmations of American martens in the Red River Valley corridor. But here in the Turtle Mountains we have an established breeding population in the region.”

Through studies and research, the department is trying to get a better handle on the number of martens in this longstanding population that inhabit the Turtle Mountains. The fall of 2023 marked the second of three years that researchers from Michigan State University have tried to collect marten hair samples. Tucker said the Game and Fish Department is also working with the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa as a significant chunk of the reservation is in the southeastern corner of the Turtle Mountains.

“They have marten within their reservation boundary, too, because these animals certainly don’t adhere to administrative boundaries,” Tucker said. “To get a complete picture of what’s going on in this region, the tribe is part of that. We are collaborating with them and they’re helping us with the survey within the tribal boundary, which will give us a complete picture for the Turtle Mountain region.”

Jeff Desjarlais Jr., natural resource director for the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa, said it’s a good thing the two have joined to learn more about an elusive critter that has been on the landscape for some time.

“We love our partnership with the Game and Fish, and we’ve been talking about doing a marten study ourselves for a while,” he said. “And then Stephanie contacted us, and it was a great opportunity for our staff and myself to learn a lot more about the marten and the practice we want to go with moving forward.”

Desjarlais Jr. said the end goal of a sustainable harvest season is what the tribe is interested in, too. “We want to see our resources here forever and not depleted,” he said. “So, if we don’t have some kind of management plan, we’re not going to be able to sustain that population.”