March 2014 Wildlife Whereabouts

Bear tracks have been spotted in the snow, signifying that some bears are out and about after spending the winter in hibernation. Here is an update on a few of
Grand Teton's most famous bears, and few other tidbits!

Photo by Diana Stratton

•     Grizzly bear 610, now 8 years old, could emerge with new cubs of the year.  She weaned her last litter last spring and likely bred shortly thereafter.
•     Grizzly bear 399, now 18 years old, should emerge with 2 or 3 yearling cubs this spring.  She spent most of last summer with 3 cubs of the year, but observations late in the fall suggest a possibility she may have lost a cub before denning.
•     Bears with cubs of the year are usually the last ones to emerge from their dens.
•     Adult male bears are the first out of their dens, with more than half out and about by the end of March.
•     As our snowpack slowly wanes on the valley floor, courtship and breeding is occurring among many wildlife species, including wolves, ravens, river otters, bald and golden eagles, wolverine, great-horned owls, and Canada geese.
•     Migrating birds are also showing up in numbers, buds on deciduous trees are starting to swell, and locals are eager for green leaves to emerge, even though this likely won’t happen for another 6 weeks!
•     In the coming weeks, snowshoe hares and long-tailed weasels will begin to shed their white winter fur.
•     At higher elevations, snow continues to accumulate, promising a good summer run off and adequate forage production for many herbivores – bighorn sheep, moose, elk, pika, marmots, and white-crowned sparrows among others.