We saw an eyeful in our morning tour:  bison and elk running after the feed trucks in the Elk Refuge, a beautiful golden eagle feeding on an elk carcass, big horned sheep and mule deer atop rocky ridges, trumpeter swans dozing in a sunlight speckled pond, a juvenile and adult bald eagle, and moose lounging by the Gros Ventre river.  Throughout the drive, our guide would point to animals huddled in the valleys to take advantage of the warmth and food.  Talking with our knowledgeable and friendly wildlife biologist guide, Kirsten Kapp, we also learned about the local geology, history, and environmental politics within the area. 

Jackson Hole is located just southeast of Yellowstone National Park, and is an area of immense beauty with the craggy Teton mountain peaks, placid mountain valleys and geological formations.  But what makes the Jackson Hole area particularly unique is its 80 degree hot spring fed creeks and ponds.  These warm spots provide water and warmth – an oasis of sorts – for wildlife like the trumpeter swan that would normally migrate much farther south during the winter.  The land draws humans as well, and with the population of Jackson increasing every year, Issues of land use among local conservationists, ranchers, and suburban dwellers and developers have become a hot political topic.  In the winter, the elk refuge, for example, feeds a herd of elk that has become dependent on humans for survival.  And in some ways, this feeding refuge idea makes sense:  The elks’ natural migration range has been cut off by the city of Jackson Hole, and so the animals are not able to use the extent of their natural wintering range.  The elk are a natural resource for the city, bringing in tourism and a historical heritage to the area.  On the other hand, the animals are kept in high numbers – we saw over a thousand running after a feed truck.  These high numbers increase the risk of disease within the herd and also impact the ecosystem around them.  Ranchers have concerns that the elk and bison contain diseases that could impact livestock in the area.  Elk running in neighborhoods endanger people and the animals themselves.  Several researchers are working on projects that document the reduction of plant species due to large numbers of elk – trees simply cannot grow on their range – and the effects that species depletion has on other animals like songbirds. 

Kapp's involvement with a research project that studies elk migrations through the backyards and streets of a local town provides a great example of the dilemmas facing human settlers in the Jackson Hole area.  The town sits next to a wildlife corridor, she says, and yet the elk choose to migrate through the town, not the corridor.  “It’s interesting,” she said, “because if you look at the wilderness corridor, there is nothing but a flat landscape, whereas the town has rows of trees and even a view of Sleeping Indian, a mountain peak in the horizon.  We're investigating whether or not it is the trees, the views of mountains, or even the fences that are causing these elk migration patterns through the town.”  Hopefully, she said, the research can help inform new human developments in the area. 

Kapp's quick eye (she could pick out a bighorn sheep several miles up on a mountain ridge while driving and talking with passengers about local issues) kept us hopping out of the truck all morning.  And her knowledge of the area – she pointed out one 80 degree creek that provided a warm environment for several kinds of African ciclids released from home aquariums, for example – kept us well informed as we explored the Jackson Hole area.  And along most of the way, we had spectacular views of the Tetons covered in snow.  The beauty of the view is being shared by humans and non-humans. 
 

If you are staying in Jackson Hole during the winter, drop by Llama Lou's Day Trip office in the Mangy Moose for information and reservations.