Wildlife
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Some of North America’s greatest herds of large mammals roam Wyoming’s mountains and plains, wintering at lower elevations in the basins where there is little snow and forage is abundant, and then moving up into high peaks for the summer. Wind River Country supports its share of these animals and visitors are guaranteed to see pronghorn and mule deer through the windows of their car as they pass through the area and sometimes elk and moose. |
A great way to get close to nature is to get out of the car for a hike or take trip with one of our local outfitters. Whiskey Mountain near Dubois is home to the largest herd of wintering bighorn sheep in the nation, and the animals can often be viewed grazing on the windswept flanks of the foothills near town. The National Bighorn Sheep Interpretive Center in Dubois provides visitors with an in-depth look at this majestic animal’s unusual life cycle and habitat. Guided tours by professionals are also available by reservation.
Wyoming’s healthy big game herds support a large carnivore population. These animals are another tourist attraction, although they tend to be more elusive than their grass-eating prey and can be hard to spot outside of YellowstoneNational Park. The largest concentration of carnivores is found in the AbsarokaMountains where wolves, grizzly bears and black bears, as well as smaller, less-known species like pine marten, wolverines and mountain lions flourish.
Bird life is suprisingly varied around Dubois. Along the rivers, lush willow and cottonwoods provide a sanctuary for warblers and dippers, out in the arid sagebrush steppe, sage grouse and sandhill cranes wander, and on the high elevation tundra, black rosy finches flit. But for most people, the most common bird sighting in Wind River Country will be a hawk, eagle or falcon. Bald eagles are a common sight in a cottonwood trees beside the Wind River near Dubois. Peregrine and prairie falcons nest in the cliffs along the front range of the Wind River Mountains, and kestrels frequently sit on telephone lines around the county scanning the surrounding fields for prey.