Cisco's Sonar Snow and Animals

Winter is at our doorstep. We had a nice spell through November, but it is back with a vengeance now. Over the last fifty-one years here at the lake, I have always been fascinated with the different winter weather conditions. What really interests me, however, is how the animals react to it.

You can tell what animals are doing by looking at their tracks in the snow. You can see everything from moose to mice tracks scattered across the landscape. The animals are typically gone by the time you see the tracks since most of their movement is at night. Big game usually like to lay in the sun during the cold winter days. So, what have I observed from the tracks in the snow? The deer, elk and moose are staying put for now. There are lots of deer tracks in some locations, but it is hard to say how many individuals there are. One deer foraging on bitter brush leaves many tracks. In past years, moose would move from Sagebrush Flat passing my house to Hodges Canyon where they would stay for the winter. I have seen a few come by this fall. The same goes for elk that previously migrated from Idaho to the raspberry fields. The fields are gone and so are, the elk. Deer are typically easy to see this time of year, but I haven’t seen many. I drove around the Lake the other day and didn’t see one.

The birds are different also. I don’t see many coots on the lake near the BLSP marina. Ten years ago, there would be hundreds, but they are rare this year. I really don’t think their numbers regionally are down, but they have changed their behavior. Few ducks around the shoreline because of higher water and warmer up north and the usual trumpeter swans by the rest area. At my feeder, the black capped and mountain chickadees taken over which is unusual. The turkeys are bunched up and scattered.

Is this a result of development, more people, overhunting, or worse yet, climate change? No, I think it is the natural populations adapting to their environment. That is why watching wildlife is so fun. It is a great family activity to have your kids watch with you and listen to what they say. Watch the animals and birds in this beautiful valley for the rest of the winter. Come to your own conclusions. I am only one set of old eyes. I am sure things will change.