Wolves
Successfully reintroduced to the park in 1995, there are now just over 100 gray wolves in 10 different packs living in Yellowstone year-round. These wolves are more likely to be seen in Lamar Valley toward the northern end of the park; however, based on current activity, these animals have been spotted at dawn and dusk throughout the park and even in the Lower Geyser Basin area, especially during mating season in February. If you don’t see any during your winter snowcoach tour, don’t worry. The Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone is home to six wolves year-round. The rescued wolves can be heard howling early in the morning and again at dusk. The center is open seven days a week, 365 days a year and admission to the center is good for two consecutive days.
Trumpeter Swans
Perhaps one of the most underrated animals in the park, the trumpeter swan is the largest wild waterfowl in the continental US. With a wingspan of eight feet, the huge birds that mate for life are, unfortunately, becoming more of a rarity within the park. Due to climate change, the number of trumpeter swans in Yellowstone has been in decline — there are currently less than 30 in the entire area. Park rangers introduced a release program in 2014 in hopes to strengthen the number and encourage mating and bonding between the males and females. For now, visitors on a snowcoach tour from West Yellowstone are most likely to see these magnificent birds swimming in rivers with open water, like the Firehole River, from December through February.
Bobcats
Park guides will tell you that — when spotted — bobcats work it for the cameras, idly grooming and stretching as photographers flock to capture their every movement. It’s like they’re aware how much of a big deal they are. Bobcats are highly intelligent, easily blending into the countryside, as they hunt for rabbits and mice. They’re rarely seen and park guides joke they only come out if they know there’s a camera at the ready. If you enter or leave the park during sunrise or sunset, keep your eyes peeled — and your camera handy — for them along especially rocky areas and low-lying river basins. As of winter 2018, one bobcat has been often spotted near Madison Junction, stealthily waiting to model for the cameras.
How to Do It
Visitors are given almost exclusive access to the park and its hundreds of animal residents during the winter months. The best way to see these animals is by snow coach or snowmobile tour with a tour operator out of West Yellowstone, the closest town to the western entrance of the park. Winter tours operate through March 15th, allowing guests plenty of time to visit. With the downtown located just a few blocks away from the park and plenty of overnight accommodations available, West Yellowstone is perfectly situated for wildlife and winter adventure lovers to explore both the park and the town at their leisure. Click here to begin planning your winter getaway.
Comments