Yellowstone in Winter - Part 3 - First Day Wildlife

Wednesday, 24 January 2018

We saw six of the eight ungulates (hoofed mammals) that inhabit the area: bison, elk, pronghorn antelope, mule deer (black-tailed deer), white-tailed deer, and bighorn sheep. We didn't see moose or mountain goats today (but those come in later days).

We saw pronghorn antelopes just before entering the park. After that, we never saw another one. They like to spend the winters in place that have the least snow.

Pronghorns are beautiful creatures, with striking marks in their fur.

Their name comes from the forward-facing spike on their horns.

Elk are fairly common throughout the area. This is one of the few times we had a chance to see a large male at a fairly close distance.

Bison are the most common large animal in the park. Large males can weigh up to 2200 lbs. It seems that bison really like to travel on roads and pay no attention to vehicles. (Of course, all wildlife has the right-of-way.)

Bison can make very effective road blocks.

Although bison look docile, they do charge and can run as fast as 35 mph. You don't mess with bison!

Bison like the warmth of the thermal areas. Here they are wandering around Canary Spring in Mammoth Hot Springs. However, they really don't understand how thin and unstable the ground can be. More than a few hot springs contain bison bones where a bison has broken through the ground and fallen into scalding hot water. Bison may have an easier life in the warmer areas, but the silica in the plants around the springs grind down their teeth early, and many springs have excessive fluoride, which in the quantities found in the park can weaken bones and teeth. As a result, they live shorter lives than bison in other areas.

It's not uncommon to find other animals (pronghorn here, but also elk and moose) in the middle of bison herds.

Sunset over the Blacktail Plateau.