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Wonderful Wyoming Wildlife. So much wildlife to see in Wyoming. So much we need a wildlife atlas! It is overwhelming with how thorough the atlas is but it is an excellent way to see where all the cool animals live! Or you can simply take a drive outside of town to explore and see what you can see!
Oh, wait, just the bears. Well, unless you count the mountain lions. So lions and buffalo and bears, oh my! Oh, wait, there’s tiger salamanders. They live here too, so we can say lions and tigers and bears, oh my, just with a little bit of a disclaimer. Wyoming is known for some amazing wildlife viewing. Sure, most people think of just buffalo and bears, but there are also many different animals that live here, and many are common sights even in the cities.
Hi, I’m Alisha Collins with RE/MAX The Group and the Alisha Collins Real Estate Team. Let me tell you about some of the wonderful wildlife in Wyoming, but first, make sure you subscribe to our channel for all things real estate and all things Wyoming. We would love to help you with anything you might need, so like I mentioned, seeing some wildlife in the cities is actually pretty normal. In Casper and the surrounding areas, it is very common for your path to be delayed by wild turkeys, antelope, and deer, but it’s definitely not heard of for you to be delayed by other creatures like an elk, if you’re lucky. I wish I had my camera rolling when the elk blocked my path home last year, but believe me, it was incredible. I am sure it’s similar in other Wyoming cities. The deer and the antelope definitely roam, like the song says, and they roam through towns as well as through the prairies. It really is just part of our everyday life. Sometimes, the wildlife don’t see the boundaries, and sometimes, they are drawn to populated areas for access to food if their natural habitat is lacking.
I am not sure what drew the mountain lion to the golf course, though. Well, maybe the deer that casually roamed the course without paying any of the green fees. That was a couple of years ago, and luckily, the lion moved on or back to its natural habitat without any further incident.
Around town here, you can also see several birds of prey, like falcons, hawks, and even eagles. As a matter of fact, Wyoming is home to 22 different raptor species. I am definitely not a bird expert, but I have no idea which I have seen, well, except for the bald eagle. I can identify that one for sure, and I love to see it when I’m kayaking down a river.
If you head out to Alcova Reservoir and take a trip through the canyon, you might get lucky and see a bald eagle or a family of them for yourself. If you really wanna know every animal in Wyoming and exactly how to find them, check out the wildlife atlas on the Wyoming Game and Fish page, which I’m gonna put in the description. It’s overwhelming on how thorough the atlas is, but it is an excellent way to see where all the cool animals live, or you can simply take a drive outside of town and explore and see what you can see. You might see sage grass and skunks or even prairie dogs. If you travel around at night, you might even get to see some of the more nocturnal creatures like raccoons or maybe even the elusive black-footed ferret.
I also had a owl fly right next to my car as I was going home a couple years ago. Wanna see more? Delve into the wilder parts of the state up in the mountains, or head to Yellowstone for the touristy view.
So back to all the lions and tigers and bears discussion. We really do have bears in Wyoming, two different species, to be precise. We have the majestic grizzly bear and the black bear. Unlike the deer, who don’t seem to care where the people are, luckily for us, the bears do tend to stay away from the populated areas. Black bears in Wyoming are smaller than black bears in other parts of the country, and the term black bear is a bit misleading. It is common to see black bears in Wyoming that range from the color black to cinnamon and from brown to blond. They most like to live in dense timber or mixed mountain shrub habitat but have been spotted moving across prairies as well. While they have been spotted near Casper, I haven’t seen one yet in Casper, and talk about a bear, I really don’t wanna see one up close, especially the grizzly bear.
Okay, so maybe I do, but in a completely safe way. The grizzlies in Wyoming mostly reside in Yellowstone, and if you’re lucky enough to see one, make sure you pay careful attention to the bear-safe recommendations of the Game and Fish. Carry bear spray if you are going to be camping or hiking in bear country, and know how to recognize an aggressive bear versus a defensive bear and what you should do in each case, and I can’t forget our iconic buffalo.
Well, really, it is the American bison, which is commonly called the buffalo. Not only is it our state mammal, it is also a large part of our history and culture. There are bison farms in Wyoming, and of course, there are still wild bison roaming the state. Did you know that you can hunt bison in Wyoming? With the right license, of course.
The abundance of wildlife in Wyoming goes hand in hand with hunting, which is definitely part of our culture and a draw for tourism as well, and that reminds me.
I haven’t forgot about the fish. Well, wait, are fish considered wildlife? Well, I’m going to include them because they live in the wild, and another huge part of the wonderful things that are in Wyoming. With so many amazing reservoirs and rivers, we have some amazing fishing. If you want to just view the fish, you should visit the fish hatcheries, but if you want to experience the fishing, well, just pick a place. Wyoming is known for some of the best fly fishing in the world. We have over 40 native fish species, including several great game fish, like a variety of trout and walleye and many other non-game species. I think I’ve covered a lotta wildlife here.
I know I’m missing some, so check out that wildlife atlas for more. If you are interested in wildlife, then Wyoming is definitely for you. You might find that if you come and visit, you might decide to stay and find a new home, and I just happen to know a great REALTOR to help you with that. Remember, we want you to love where you live. We hope you’ve enjoyed our videos. Thanks for watching.