April 2014 Wildlife Whereabouts

Photo by Patrick Leary

• Moose and other ungulates are experiencing the toughest time of the year as they emerge from winter with low fuel reserves. 
• Melting snow and greening vegetation help many animals get a jump on replenishing these critical energy reserves, particularly pregnant females which will be giving birth in the next 2 months.
• Since gestation lengths in mammals are fairly consistent, calving seasons will be similar to previous years, regardless of weather.  The first bison calves of the year are being born in April, with moose and elk to follow in May!
• Northern migration of elk from the National Elk Refuge into Grand Teton has begun.  Elk typically move up in the Snake River corridor north of the town of Moose first, where river banks and east-facing slopes melt early. 
• Wolves are out and about, localizing around den sites and preparing to give birth to cubs in late April.
• Bald eagles, ravens, great-horned owls, and other early-season nesting birds are incubating eggs.
• Birds that migrate out of Jackson Hole in the fall are returning in increasing numbers (the osprey, blue birds, meadowlarks, sandhill cranes and others are back!).
• Bears are showing up in increasing numbers and are looking for the winter-killed carcasses, left over berries, and pine seeds on which they feed during the spring months.
• Beaver are showing up as ice melts off ponds and are raising new families inside their dens.
• Bighorn sheep that winter in the Tetons begin to move off small wintering areas as the snow at high elevations firms up.
• Numbers of sage grouse attending lek (mating) sites will likely peak during April.