SPIRIT OF ADVENTURE Wild Residents 10 Wild Wyoming Home to more than 100 mammal species and 400 bird species, Wyoming is the ultimate wildlife-watching hot spot. Keep your eyes peeled for these cool critters. Bald Eagles Fun Fact: our national bird isn’t actually bald; their white-feathered heads just gleam in contrast to their brown bodies and wings. Where to Spot Them: bald eagles arrive to feast on salmon every fall at National Wildlife Refuge in Green River, but many of the majestic flyers spend all year at the refuge, where you’ll also find shiras moose, river otters and sage grouse. Hundreds of bald and golden eagles also spend winter at Casper Mountain; see them while you enjoy the snowshoeing trails. bison Fun Fact: Wyoming’s state animal can run up to 30 miles per hour. Where to Spot Them: Yellowstone National Park is the only place in the U.S. where bison have lived continuously since prehistoric times. Discover them sunning next to geysers all over the park year-round, particularly in Hayden and Lamar valleys. Or visit the resident herd at Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis. In the fall and winter months, there’s a daily bison feeding at 8:30 a.m. OBSERVE FROM A DISTANCE For the safety and comfort of both animals and people, stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and 25 yards away from all other animals. If an animal changes its behavior or seems nervous at your presence, it’s time to back away. @DDVONNE713 bobcats Fun Fact: the most common wildcat in North America, the bobcat is named for its short tail. Where to Spot Them: look for the cats in forested areas across Wyoming. Sightings along the Snowy Range Scenic Byway, which encompasses a high-mountain stretch of Highway 30 between Laramie and Saratoga in the Medicine Bow National Forest, are common. You might also catch glimpses of moose, black bears and coyotes. wild horses Fun Fact: Wyoming has one of the nation’s largest herds of wild horses. Where to Spot Them: connecting Green River and Rock Springs, the 24-mile-long Pilot Butte Wild Horse Scenic Loop is one of the best places in the country to view a galloping herd. Or visit the Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center east of Lovell, where you’ll find information about where Pryor Mountain’s wild horses — rumored to be descendants of colonial Spanish horses — are currently roaming. elk Fun Fact: a bull (male) elk’s antlers can grow up to four feet tall, so the mammal can tower more than nine feet tall. Where to Spot Them: from southeast Wyoming’s Medicine Bow National Forest and the Wind River Range to the west, you can count on seeing elk all over the state. Winter elk watching is unbeatable at the National Elk Refuge in Jackson, where more than 5,000 migrating elk spend the cold-weather season. Since the mammals move to surrounding mountain meadows and forests during the spring and summer, winter is prime time to spot the herd. 86 Wyoming Official Travelers Journal CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: BALD EAGLE, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/JACOB W. FRANK; BISON, NATIONAL PARK SERVICE/NEAL HERBERT; ELK, INSTAGRAM/@DDVONNE713; WILD HORSES, CLAIRE THOMAS; BOBCAT, JEFF VANUGA.
Wyoming Official Travel Guide 2018 Wyoming OTJ: Page 86
