Lessons in the Field
Montana native, Bridger Line, has a long history in connection to land management and conservation growing up on his family’s cattle ranch in Missoula. This environment is what led Line toward a career in the outdoors, studying resource conservation and wildlife biology at the University of Montana, where he also interned for the Montana Working Lands Internship Program.
After graduating, Line began his career in a position focused on rangeland and forest vegetation management, controlling invasive weeds with herbicides to restore landscapes and help native species thrive. In 2025, Line stepped into the role of the NWTF’s western cooperative biologist, working directly with the Northern Region of the USDA Forest Service and the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program on habitat projects across Western Montana that benefit wild turkeys, grouse and other wildlife.
“As I've recently stepped into the role of the NWTF’s western cooperative biologist, I've been fortunate to have the mentorship of David Nikonow, one of the organization's district biologists in the West. I quickly realized that there's only so much you can learn through a screen compared to experiencing it firsthand in the field.”
Nikonow, the previous Montana western cooperative biologist, has assisted Line in his transition into the role, mentoring not just professionally, but also through real-world experiences in the outdoors.
“As David and I got to know each other, I shared that I had never gone hunting before, and we decided it was time to change that!”
After planning and preparation for the hunt, the two geared up for an early morning start, hiking a ridge and listening for gobbles echoing through the valley. Though the birds they heard were tucked away on private land, the moment gave Nikonow a chance to share insights into the surrounding habitat.
“We were hunting in an area where I had previously worked with the Forest Service on thinning and prescribed fire treatments,” Nikonow said. “The woods were a classroom that day to show how and why the forest was managed differently across the landscape.”
As the pair repositioned later in the morning, they spotted a hen along an old forest road — an encouraging sign that a gobbler might be nearby.
“We set up farther down the road and spent a long time trying to call in one particular gobbler we were calling back and forth with” Line said. “After some time with no luck, we decided to head back and call it a day. We were halfway back when we heard two gobblers only about 75 yards ahead, walking through the brush and then up the road toward us. We quickly fell silent and crouched low to avoid alarming the birds. A few subtle calls from David and moments later, he took his shot, and the rest is history!”
For Line, the hunt didn’t just mark his first field experience hunting, it opened the door to deeper understanding of turkey behavior, movement and the landscape through a new lens.
“Being in the woods with David helped me connect what I’d been studying to what I was seeing,” he said. “I could actually visualize where turkeys might roost, feed and travel throughout the day. While David’s goal that day was to harvest a bird, mine was fulfilled through the experience of learning in the field.”
Back at the truck, Nikonow continued the lesson. As he cleaned the bird, he invited Line to examine its crop — a muscular pouch where food is temporarily stored.
“David took the opportunity to show me everything,” Line said. “As he was harvesting the animal, he wanted to demonstrate what birds eat, so he opened up the crop where the food is stored. His message was that by examining the crop, you can learn a lot about the bird's eating habits. Depending on the organic matter found inside the crop, you can potentially infer where the birds tend to hang out, which is valuable information.”
It was a detail Line hadn’t encountered in textbooks — but one that could prove valuable in planning habitat restoration efforts.
“I learned about the importance of specific vegetation types and how birds are using the land in real time,” he said. “That sort of insight is critical for projects we’re doing with the Forest Service to benefit turkeys and forest grouse.”
Though Line doesn’t see himself becoming an avid hunter, he appreciated the experience for what it was: an immersive, hands-on opportunity to grow as a biologist.
“I wouldn’t call myself a hunter,” Line said, “but I’d absolutely go again if someone wanted to take me out. It was a great way to learn, and I got a lot out of it.”
With a deepening knowledge of wild turkeys and the landscapes they depend on, Line is already translating those lessons into meaningful conservation work — and the West’s upland wildlife will be better for it.