PARADISE VALLEY — Rose Kaiotii makes her living in Paradise Valley hunting and selling elk antler sheds.
“You need to be on your toes in a place like this," said Kaiotii. "This is the next level. This is some mountain man s—- out here.”
She said she spends whole seasons out in the wilds outside of Yellowstone, often referred to as "bear country," stalking elk to learn their patterns.
“Every 10 miles I find (a shed), and I got 125 this year," said Kaiotii, "Some people give me bad looks 'cause they think I killed all these animals. They don’t know that they drop (sheds) every year.”
She sells these sheds out of her truck bed, outside of the Emigrant General Store, ranging anywhere in price between $40 to thousands of dollars, depending on each shed's quality.
"You have to respect these animals," said Kaiotii.
Given her physically demanding outdoor lifestyle, she said she considers herself a "woman warrior."
"If I get taken out by a bear, well then, hey, at least I got taken out doing what I enjoy," said Kaiotti.
Not only does she modestly live off Montana's wilderness, she protects it as one of Paradise Valley's and Park County Rural's volunteer firefighters.
“We lived in New York City at the time of September 11, I was six years old … I remember drawing on the car with the dust from the towers," said Kaiotti, "Ever since then, firefighters have always been my heroes, and so, why not be one?”
