Book review: Blacktail Cave and Bear Stories

If you have ever explored or toured in a cave and were thrilled about the experience, the fascinating story of this fellow Montanan will interest you.

The Blacktail Ranch homestead was established by Gus Rittel in the early 1890’s on the South Fork of the Dearborn River north of Wolf Creek, Mont. Before becoming the Blacktail Ranch it was known as the Rittel Brothers Ranch, run by the four sons of Gus Rittel. They were living out the Montanan way of life raising cattle, sheep, horses, chickens and other animals needed to maintain a working ranch.

The brothers started a sawmill for their own ranch building and extra income. It was during tree harvest the cave was discovered. The hollow ground would echo as they hauled logs with wagons by horse team. They were so busy making a living they never attempted to explore the cave.

That all changed when Tag Rittel, son of Frank Rittel of the Rittel Brothers Ranch, along with four other members of the Dearborn Jackpine Savage 4-H Club crawled into the cave in the summer of 1946.

A lifelong adventure had started for Tag Rittel. In the 1950s they started clearing a walkway to the cave. That is when the evidence of human presence was found by unearthing carved elk teeth that were apparently part of a necklace. At this point the careless digging stopped and they started screening and were rewarded with other artifacts.

Tag Rittel took life as an amateur archaeologist seriously. Many hours were spent sifting, marking and identifying objects and mapping the various levels of the cave which housed different eras of man and animal.

In 1957 college students from the University of Montana came to study the cave.

In 1960 Tag contacted the Montana Archaeological Society in Bozeman and much enthusiasm was generated about the cave and further exploration began.

In 1977 the water level in the cave had dropped eight feet and new areas were opened to explore. The largest skulls were discovered and Tag’s son John was attending U of M in Missoula and he contacted Dr. William Melton of the Department of Geology.

In 1978 Dr. Melton received a grant from the National Geographic Society and began work at the cave. By the end of that summer, 28 different Ice Age animals were unearthed. A prehistoric spear point now scientifically is identified as the Blacktail Cave Point. One of the skulls was a prehistoric bear and the cave was also believed to be used by the Blackfeet Indians as a Dream Cave for the Bear Man legend.

The Rittel Ranch was an endless area for wildlife including grizzly and black bear. The ranch had several encounters with these bears and in 1953 Tag became a licensed Montana Guide, thus fulfilling the title of the book Blacktail Cave and Bear Stories.

The book covers the exploration of the cave and explanation of artifacts found, it also covers ranch life and the goodness and hardships experienced.

Tag Rittel is now 85 years old and was 15 when he and his friends entered the cave. His book is available at many retail stores or direct from the author Tag Rittel, 4440, S. Fork Trail, Wolf Creek, Mt 59648-8502 or the publisher, Stoneydale Press, 523 Main Street, Stevensville, Mt 59870.

The well read copy, given to the PCN, will be donated to the Phillips County Library. To view photos and short video or book a tour go online to blacktailranch.com.