Apples aplenty at CSKT Fall Wildlife Festival

Despite the downpour, the mood was festive Saturday at the third Fall Wildlife Festival, hosted by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Three cider presses were set up under tents behind the Ronan Visitor’s Center, along with boxes of apples that were quickly transformed into the amber hues of fresh cider. Information tables and a Maker Van, with activities for kids, were also part of the annual affair.

Emily and Brett Peterson of Kunekune Ranch in Round Butte were pressing cider for an upcoming party, using apples picked that morning at a friend’s orchard.

“It’s a way to celebrate getting close to the end of harvest and just ladies getting together and having some fun,” Emily said of the party, as she fed apples into the press.

The couple filled around three gallon jugs with cider. “I was hoping for one gallon, but I think we got quite a bit more,” she said.

The remaining pulp was going home as well to be served to their kunekune pigs – a variety of sweet-tempered, medium-sized pig that hails from New Zealand.

Bob Bell, the proprietor of Kickstart Compost on Round Butte Road, was quick to claim any other apple remains for compost production.

“Now this here will live another day to make the gardens for next year,” he said of the piles of apple pulp in the back of his trailer.

For Bell, it’s part of the life cycle. “They're doing this to save the bears by getting the apples off the ground. They're making themselves some apple juice,” he said. “And yet, nothing of this is going to waste. I'm going to take this home. I'm going to dump it up in the compost and next year it will be going back into somebody's garden.”

The Stellmach family from Arlee was making good use of another cider press. Emily, with help from her young sons, fed apples into the press and poured juice in jars, while her husband, Ayron, squeezed every drop of cider out of apples the couple had gleaned from area fruit trees.

By gleaning, or harvesting and picking up fallen fruit, people can lessen temptations for bears, who are plumping up in preparation for their long winter naps – a phase called hyperphagia.

While last year’s event was primarily centered on bears and apples, according to tribal wildlife biologist Kaylie Durglo, the focus widened this year to include information about an array of wildlife and land stewardship on the Flathead Reservation.

Despite the rain, she said Saturday’s turnout was steady. “We've had folks pretty consistently all day. Quite a few people brought their own apples to press this year, which was really exciting.”

Apples were also available for those who didn’t come equipped, “so they could give it a try.”

According to Durglo, the Tribes have not fielded as many calls about errant bears this year. She attributes that to an abundance of fruit, berries and grasses – unlike last year ‘s scarcity – which helps keep bruins from browsing in more urban areas.

“We also have folks being really good about cleaning up garbage in some areas.,” she added. “So hopefully our outreach is working and that's part of the reason as well.”

The Tribes have gleaning equipment available to rent, including apple pickers, presses and tarps. Locations are the Ronan Cooperative Brewery, the community center in St. Ignatius, and the Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation at 408 6th Ave. E. in Polson. For more information, head to csktnrd.org/wildlife.