Wintering Wildlife

give ‘em a break

by Bert Raynes

Photography by Henry H. Holdsworth, Wild by Nature Gallery

Bison

     So—you’ve come to Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and surrounding communities to play in the snow and to experience what the region is like in winter. To ski or snowboard, to cross country ski or snowshoe, to use an oversnow vehicle, to admire the scenery, the thermal features, the animals.                                                                              

     Good. Dress warm and enjoy.
     Dress warm—because you can. And you should. Be comfortable even in a harsh winter climate; but not so comfortable that you fail to recognize and remember that those animals you will see, the elk, bison, moose, coyote, wolf, or bird, live without any of your options for artificial sources of warmth. Or for food. They are wild animals, living off the land, living by their wits, living if lucky.
     Chances are you’ll be outdoors during daylight hours. But you can choose not to go out, day or night, should the weather conditions be ones you’d rather not face. You will have plenty to eat if you chose to, and know too that there will be food and drink available to you at all hours and at your convenience. You will have a safe, warm place to sleep. You are not a wild animal.
     But those wild animals you will see have few if any of those options—they’re on their own, one definition of “wild.” Their lives and the lives of succeeding generations of their kind rest on their ability—and luck—to survive. It’s as elemental as that. Day after day, night after interminable night, getting by. Finding food, perhaps a bit of shelter, avoiding enemies, finding food, finding something to eat.
     Nature has provided those animals you observe during your winter vacation in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Moose

with constitutions and capabilities equipped to withstand the harshest weather—so long as there is available food. Bison are exceptionally hardy, but if they can’t paw or shovel heavy, deep snow aside with their heads to gain access to grasses, they will starve or succumb to cold. All of the plant-eaters face that particular challenge, plus the constant pressure carnivores present, for they are prey animals to all large predators. Except for bears, which are in hibernation and ordinarily not hunting in winter months—about six months in this region.
     For their part, predators depend on their ability to locate potential prey and to be able to hunt successfully in often unfavorable circumstances, i.e. heavy snow or an icy or unseasonable winter rainy spell, or after having suffered an injury or some ailment.
     To put it bluntly, most—if not all—of the animals you see in the wild and appear perfectly at home in winter in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are actually fighting for survival.
     Thus, it is imperative that you do not further endanger any one of these vulnerable creatures. You must not, not, stress any one of them. If you should cause one to flee from a too close approach, you may be responsible for its death. Not on the spot, likely, but even one apparently little additional stress can lead—directly—to a fatal level of exhaustion. You won’t, likely, be witness; you’ll be miles away. Another day, perhaps in another land. An incident and a result put out of mind. But, you will have been the cause.
     So, here are a few suggestions for your consideration:
     1) Don’t stress any wild animal. Don’t force it to flee and thus expend energy; that can be life-threatening for the animal.
     2) Don’t approach a wild creature or act in a manner it may interpret as threatening.
     3) If you’re unsure of whether you may cause an animal to run or attempt to escape, stop. YOU back off, slowly. You’re in its space, plus you have flexibility of movement. The wild animal may not if, for example, it is in deep snow or has no escape route.
     4) View wildlife from a distance. Through a camera lens or binoculars. You’re likely to get a better viewing and to see the critter acting more normally and not in apprehension.
     5) Avoid winter range: south-facing slopes, edges of streams, valleys.
     6) Keep pets on leashes. Don’t let them chase wildlife...and even a lap dog will if it can.

Bighorn Sheep	Bald Eagles

     This advice isn’t meant to deny the experience and pleasure of seeing animals in the wild. Instead it’s meant to help ensure that you don’t inadvertently cause their demise. Heed it, be courteous, and be confident in the knowledge that your wildlife encounters will have a happy ending for everybody.
     PS: And if by hook and especially by crook you find yourself in a position to command a fleet of black helicopters to take you into remote spots, don’t.

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The Jackson Hole Skier is a free visitors’ guide published annually and distributed at hundreds of locations throughout Jackson Hole, Cody, and other regional communities. To receive a copy in the mail, send $5 to Jackson Hole SKier, P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001.

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Copyright 2004 by FPI (Focus Productions, Inc)., P.O. Box 1930, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publishers.

Publishers: Bob Woodall & Wade McKoy, dba Focus Productions, Inc. (FPI)

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