Other Wildlife in Wyoming

Northwestern Wyoming supports an abundance of wildlife in national parks, national forest and national wilderness. The geologic processes that resulted in mountain building and sculpting have also determined where plants grow that other wildlife feed on.

Herbivores, plant eating animals, like moose, mule deer and elk are present where their food source can be found. Carnivores, meat eating animals, like bears, coyotes and weasels follow their prey. Millions of years of geologic activity created a dramatic scenery in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains and in the Jackson Hole valley, and indirectly account for the distribution and abundance of wildlife and plants found here.

Today glacial remnants, moraines, support forests of lodgepole pine and other conifers. Elk and black bear seek refuge and shade in morainal forests and graze in nearby meadows during cooler parts of the day. Vegetation like sagebrush, certain grasses and wildflowers thrive in the poor, dry and rocky soils of the Jackson Hole valley. Some mammals and birds favor the sagebrush flats, despite the hot and dry conditions. Bison graze on grasses growing among the sagebrush, while pronghorns and sage grouse eat the sagebrush.

The Snake River plays an active roll in providing the ideal environment for bald eagles, beavers, Canadian Geese, ducks, moose, and a multitude of songbirds. Cottonwoods and blue spruces grow along this river where bald eagles nest. Beavers occassionally dam side channels, establishing ponds that waterfowl use for nesting and feeding. Moose and beavers feed on willows that flourish in wetlands along the river, also offering great coverage and nesting sites for a variety of birds.

The key to a successful wildlife adventure is to understand your environment. Learn the topography and landscape of the region. Note the work of glaciers in the valley, and the vegetation in the mountains and along rivers. The presence of wildlife provides clues to the past, the processes that formed and shaped the area, as the knowledge of the past provides clues to the presence of other wildlife. Familiarity with the habitats and habits of wildlife results in increased viewing opportunities.