Blog: Naturalist Notes

Should wildlife watchers fund conservation like hunters and anglers do?

With spring's arrival comes the emergence of bears from their winter slumber. Well, it's not really a slumber, contrary to popular belief! What exactly happens when bears hibernate?

Like a gunshot, the sound of two bighorn butting heads can be heard over a mile away. It's a tell-tale sign (and sound!) of winter in Jackson Hole. The bighorn rut, or mating season, is here and it is one of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystems most powerful spectacles of nature. Here's what you need to know about this not to be missed natural event.

It’s starting to get crowded in the Jackson Hole Valley. Thousands of animals; elk, bighorn sheep, mule deer, moose, bison, and pronghorn are beginning to migrate across Grand Teton National Park and the National Refuge, concentrating as they head towards critical winter range. Eagles, Trumpeter swans, and diverse waterfowl species are also joining in to the gathering. Determined wildlife watchers may even spot grizzlies or wolves! With the human crowds of summer long gone, November and December are fantastic months to view wildlife of all types, here’s what not to miss!

It’s Angry August in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem and the bison rut is at its peak! 2000 lb giants bellow, kick dirt and engage in sometimes deadly contests for dominance and the chance to mate. The Yellowstone Bison rut, or mating season is one of our favorite annual events to experience (from a distance or the safety of our safari style vehicles!), here are some interesting facts about it!