As the largest intact ecosystem in the lower 48 states, the Greater Yellowstone Area is home to many wild creatures, from large mammals to tiny birds. Depending on the season, some animals are more visible than others. Yellowstone has the largest known concentration of free-roaming wildlife in the lower 48 states. In fact, the northern range is known to many as the “Serengeti of North America.” With the reintroduction of the gray wolf in 1995, Yellowstone regained all the wildlife mammals that were here when the area was first explored in 1805-1806. Here are a few wildlife viewing tips that will help make your excursions out of West Yellowstone even more fruitful.
Summertime
It's the middle of July and summertime has come to Yellowstone National Park. Visitors arrive in their automobiles and RVs anticipating their first views of Yellowstone's teeming wildlife populations. To be successful, rise with the sun and head out into the park. Or, if you're not an early bird, look for wildlife in the late afternoons and early evenings. In the heat of the summer, animals tend to hunker down and rest in the shade of a tree or other cool spot to conserve energy.
Spring and Fall
During spring and fall, the wildlife of Yellowstone tend to be more active during the day. In the fall, they want to fatten up before winter arrives. Likewise, in the spring they want to regain lost weight once the snows recede. Animals seem to be constantly moving. In the fall, they migrate to lowland valleys to escape the impending winter. Spring will see them following the snow line uphill. Often these seasons are touted as the best wildlife viewing times.
Winter
Winter is also good for viewing wildlife, though the animals tend to be in a relaxed state. Bears are hibernating, while others are very still, concentrating on conserving energy, essential for surviving until spring. Winter is the harshest season for all the species. Any unnecessary movement can mean the difference between life or death for an animal when each calorie counts. Any time of the year, you should never approach closer than 25 yards to wildlife; 100 yards for bears. In winter, visitors should keep even more distance so they don't frighten or spook the wildlife. If you cause an animal to move or to change its behavior, then you are probably too close. Use binoculars, spotting scopes, and telephoto lenses to view wildlife in their natural, undisturbed state.
Yellowstone is Wild
Remember, Yellowstone is not a zoo. The wildlife that inhabit it have over 2.2 million acres, or 3,472 square miles, through which to roam within the park. Many animals migrate in and out of the park. Bears, mountain lions, bison and wolves all travel within and out of the park with some frequency.
While you will, on occasion, find a moose in lower elevation sagebrush flats, you're more likely to find them in marshy areas munching on willows. Bison tend to be found in valleys and open areas, especially in the Lamar, Hayden and Pelican Valleys, and in the Firehole River Basin. Elk, the most numerous large mammal, are found just about everywhere. During spring, fall and winter, elk, or wapiti as the Native Americans call them, can be found at lower elevations, along rivers, and valleys.Come summer, elk move into the high country, where they find cooler temperatures and abundant food.
A sighting of one of the park's grizzly or black bears is undoubtedly a highlight of many vacations. Black bears favor forested areas while grizzlies spend more time in the open valleys, meadows, and mountain hillsides. Hayden and Lamar Valleys, Antelope Creek, and Mt. Washburn are the best places to view grizzlies. Remember, treat these animals with respect. They are wild, unpredictable, and fast, so view them from afar.
If you're hoping to see a wolf, one of the best places to visit is Lamar valley during winter or spring. As summer progresses, the wolves follow the elk, their main food source, to the higher elevations. Coyotes are still the most common member of the canine family, found in all parts of Yellowstone, although the successful reintroduction of the wolf into Yellowstone has severely impacted their numbers.
Migrating birds make fall the best time of the year for avid birders. Among waterfowl, the trumpeter swan, which weighs up to 30 pounds and can have a wingspan of 7 feet, spends a lot of time in the rivers and lakes of the park. And of course, our national symbol, the bald eagle, is often spotted high above rivers and lakes, perched in trees, or otherwise keeping an eye open for cutthroat trout. One of the most unexpected visitors to Yellowstone is the white pelican. Although usually found in warmer climates, over 2,000 of these beautiful birds migrate to the Molly Islands on Lake Yellowstone to breed, making it the largest breeding colony of white pelican in the mountain states.
Patience, patience, patience
Considering the habitat preferences and seasonal migration patterns around the park will really help your viewing success while you're in Yellowstone. Of course, luck and coincidence also play their role. Enjoy viewing Yellowstone's residents; but, while you're here, remember that you are in their home. Respect them and keep your distance and encourage others to as well. We are lucky to have such a special place on earth to visit.
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