The herd bull responds aggressively to the challenger's bugle in Montana's Sun River Country. At stake is nothing less than the future of their kind. One hundred years ago, a line bull's bugle might have gone unanswered, Montana's wildlife population was at an all-time low. In 2001, Montana will celebrate a Century of Conservation that began with its citizens' demand that the state create what is now Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Montanans led a century of commitment by making choices and indeed sacrifices to conserve our spectacular natural and cultural resources. In places like the Sun River, big game was restored and suitable wildlife habitat secured. Today, fluvial Artic Grayling, a Montana native species, are being reintroduced to the drainage. "Sun River Challenge" is Montana's signature piece celebrating 100 years of conservation. The painting is not an artifact from the past, but a record of the present and an inspiration for the future.
