Raccoons reach the edge of comfortable range in Montana, and the state’s 201 records concentrate along riparian cover on the Missouri and the developed, wooded shorelines of Flathead Lake, water-and-tree combinations that give this opportunistic forager both denning cover and an easy meal, rather than the open high country that dominates much of the state.
Records build through summer to a September peak, roughly three times the November low, tracking increased movement as this year’s young disperse and raccoons feed heavily ahead of Montana’s harsh winters. NatureServe rates the species secure (S5) statewide, and its comfort around towns and waterside recreation likely concentrates the record near people as much as it reflects the species’ true statewide range.
