WILdLIFE CAN YOU SPOT THESE WILD WYOMING RESIDENTS? With more than 400 bird species and 100 mammal species (jackalope not included), Wyoming is a wildlife lover’s dream. See if you can spot these six critters on your next visit. @justindebattista @cindylabry @Charles Peterson BISON Wyoming’s state animal has grazed the geothermal expanses of Yellowstone since prehistoric times. Today, sightings are a regular occurrence throughout Yellowstone National Park , Hot Springs State Park in Thermopolis , Kendrick Elk and Buffalo Park in Sheridan , and Bear River State Park in Evanston . PRONGHORN did you know the fastest land mammal in North America lives right here in Wyoming? In fact, the state is home to the largest migratory pronghorn herd in the lower 48 states. BIGHORN SHEEP So abundant are bighorn sheep that there’s a place named after them: Bighorn National Forest near Sheridan . Look closely: despite their huge, 30-pound horns, the sheep can easily blend into the background. On the Move: Hundreds of pronghorn travel from Wyoming’s Red Desert to Grand Teton National Park each spring. This migratory route is so crucial that wildlife overpass bridges have been created on Highway 191 between Pinedale and Hoback Junction to help them on their way. On the Move: drive the Buffalo Bill Scenic Byway to spot bighorns migrat-ing from Cody to their summer homes around Yellowstone. Whiskey Mountain has the largest wintering herd. Learn more at the National Bighorn Sheep Center in Dubois . On the Move: In winter, you may spot Yellowstone bison using their giant heads as shovels to plow their way through the powder near Mammoth Hot Springs and the Lamar Valley , where they migrate in search of milder temps. @PatrickRohe @Redbird310 @jakeysforkwyoming ELK With antlers that can tower up to 4 feet, elk are a majestic sight to behold. Favorite haunts include Medicine Bow National Forest outside Laramie , the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and western Wyoming’s Star Valley . BALd EAGLES America’s national bird is an emblem of freedom, and nowhere does the bald eagle have more space to spread its giant (up to 8-feet-wide) wings than in Wyoming. MOOSE These mighty ungulates are a common sight in the town of Jackson and in Grand Teton National Park (where there’s even a Moose district), thanks to the area’s plentiful willows. On the Move: Many elk journey to the National Elk Refuge in Jackson each winter, where they share the land with bison, coyotes and wolves. On the Move: Bald eagles soar into Seedskadee National Wildlife Refuge in Green River each fall to gorge on a buffet of wild salmon before wintering at Casper Mountain . On the Move: As the snow melts in May, moose follow favorite migratory waterways — including Mink Creek and the North Fork of Buffalo Creek — to summer in southern Yellowstone . Observe From a distance. Wyoming’s wildlife is wild. For the safety and comfort of animals and yourself, always stay at least 100 yards away from bears and wolves and at least 25 yards away from all other ani-mals. If you’re trying to take a photo, give wildlife room and use your zoom. If an animal changes its behavior or seems nervous at your presence, it’s time to back away. Learn more at TravelWyoming.com/wy-responsibly. 64 TravelWyoming.com CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: INSTAGRAM/JUSTINDEBATTISTA; INSTAGRAM/CINDYLABRY; FLICKR/CHARLES PETERSON; INSTAGRAM/JAKEYSFORKWYOMING; FLICKR/REDBIRD310; FLICKR/PATRICKROHE.
Wyoming Official Travel Guide 2022 Wyoming Official Travel Guide: Page 64
