MOOSE, Wyo. – Snow and dropping temperatures creates a challenging time of the year for wildlife and Grand Teton National Park (GTNP) biologists are asking visitors to respect wintering wildlife by following all winter closures, including bighorn sheep winter zones.
In and around the park, visitors should give wildlife plenty of space by maintaining 100 yards from bears and wolves, and 25 yards from all other animals. Recreationists and wildlife enthusiasts can safely enjoy watching wildlife by being respectful of their need for space, staying clear of their sensitive habitats and allowing animals to maintain their vital energy reserves.
According to GTNP, conserving energy is especially important for wildlife as temperatures plummet, snow buries food and travel is difficult. Animals like bighorn sheep, bison, deer, elk and moose survive the winter by using the least amount of energy so they can maintain fat reserves, which is especially crucial for females to successfully produce young in the spring.
Stress from winter recreation poses a significant threat to bighorn sheep and can push these animals toward starvation as they endure winters high in the Teton Range.
“The park is asking skiers and snowboarders to voluntarily avoid sensitive bighorn sheep winter habitat, give sheep space and help us conserve these animals by spreading the word,” Superintendent of Grand Teton National Park Chip Jenkins said.
A georeferenced map of bighorn sheep winter zones is available for download at tetonsheep.org. Areas closed to the public to protect important ungulate winter range include:
- Summits of Mount Hunt, Prospectors Mountain and Static Peak — Dec. 1 to Apr. 30
- Areas around the Snake River, Buffalo Fork River and Kelly Hill — Dec. 15 to Mar. 31
- Northern portion of Blacktail Butte (the open slopes on the southwest side of Blacktail Butte and the Practice Rocks climbing area at the northern tip of the butte remain open) — Dec. 15 to Apr. 30
- Wolff Ridge and a portion of the Spread Creek drainage — Dec. 15 to Apr. 30
Visit go.nps.gov/tetonclosures for more information about park closures.
