GREAT FALLS — Trina Jo Bradley grew up on a cattle ranch on Dupuyer Creek, developing a strong work ethic and an appreciation for the freedom ranch life brings.
“Being able to ride our horses everyday, whether we were working or not we rode every single day and it was great,” said Bradley who runs a ranch with her husband, about 10 miles from where she grew up. “I feel like God put us here to steward the land and the livestock so that we can feed America.”
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Growing up in the shadow of the Rocky Mountain Front, living alongside grizzly bears was and remains a way of life.
“There’s a lot of days that we wake up and there’s a bear in the yard, but I have to go outside to go to work,” said Bradley. ““You can’t be afraid every time you walk out the door. You have to be aware, but you can’t be afraid.”
Her father, now retired, was a longtime advocate for protecting ranchers from grizzlies and other predators, a role she has since assumed.
In 2021, the Rocky Mountain Front Ranchlands Group was created. Trina Jo is the Executive Director.
“Basically, we’re just a voice for ranchers and farmers. We focus a lot on grizzly bears and wolves because that’s where I focus a lot of my energy,” said Bradley.
She also chairs the Montana Conflict Reduction Consortium and the Montana Stockgrowers Association Endangered Species Act Committee.
Her advocacy has led to presentations along the Front and beyond. As Grizzlies begin to make their way east, she’s presented in places like the Paradise Valley and Lewistown. She even gave a presentation to orchard growers in Washington.
“I just want everyone to know what their options are. Especially conflict prevention options and where you can find funding for those options because all of those things are expensive,” said Bradley. “There are a lot of good NGO’s (non-governmental organizations) in Montana that are willing to step up and pay for those things because they also think it’s important.”
She was surprised at how little some of the people she's helped have known about grizzlies. Some groups didn’t even know they had a grizzly specialist
One of the biggest challenges in her role, especially in places where grizzlies haven’t gained a stronghold, is dispelling misinformation. As a producer, she feels her message is more meaningful.
“I know exactly what it is they’re going through and I’m not just some talking head from the government telling them that I’m here to help,” said Bradley.
Trina Jo knows she’s part of a male dominated industry, from fellow ranchers to those she advises, even the federal and state agencies she works with. While that may have been intimidating at first, she’s not letting a gender gap impede the hard work she’s done.
“If you don’t like me because I’m a girl, welcome to 2025,” said Bradley.
Family and farming are important to Trina Jo. Her 17-year-old daughter was born in February during calving season. And while she’s letting her child chart her own path, she’s proud of the parental example she’s setting.
“Even though she doesn’t really understand what I’m doing, she sees that I’m doing it. She sees that I’m speaking up. And she sees that I’m not afraid to put myself in hard situations sometimes to make things better for us,” said Bradley.
Bradley says she’s always been shy and when she first started her advocacy, she quickly learned about the difference between just going to a meeting and participating in one.
She says from an early age, she was told not to have an opinion, but as time has gone by she has learned to speak for the heart about her passion for ranching and education about preventing grizzly livestock conflicts.
She says if her younger self could see her now, she would be proud of what she’s accomplished and the barriers she’s broken.
She says it can be a challenge to juggle working on a ranch, home schooling her daughter and being involved in all of her advocacy efforts. She says the key is finding what you love to do and focusing your energy there.
“If it’s something that you’re passionate about, you will find the time,” said Bradley.
