Seasons of the Range

Seasons of the Range. . , A Time of Renewal , Northern range wildlife grow strong in spring after a long, cold winter. Melting snow and rain turn the landscape green and lush. Bears emerge hungry from their winter dens, eager to feed on roots and grasses, winter-killed carcasses, and sometimes elk or bison calves., The Living is Easy , Summer is short – by August the grass is dry and brown. Bison and a few elk graze in the meadows, but most of the elk are higher in the mountains where the plants are still green. Coyotes are often seen hunting for small mammals. Birds are everywhere, singing and soaring high on thermal winds., Autumn Days , In the warm days and crisp, cool nights of fall, the aspens turn golden and snow falls on the mountain peaks. The bugling of bull elk is a common sound as the herds return to the valleys for their mating season. All the animals are busy eating and storing fat for the lean winter days ahead., A Long Winter , When temperatures drop, large herds of elk and bison make their winter home in these spacious valleys. The snow is not quite as deep here as in the rest of the park. For many months these hardy mammals dig through the snow to eat hidden forage. Wolves hunt among these herds, moving easily on top of the snow because of their large paws.