Wild Animals to Watch For!

It began when Vaughn was a little boy. He wanted to see a Bighorn Sheep in the wild. Bighorn Sheep are abundant in Rocky Mountain National Park and almost everyone who has visited Estes Park has seen at least one. Except Vaughn. 

Every vacation, Dad would take us to "Bighorn Meadow" where they came down from the mountain to drink from the stream filled with minerals. The Ranger Station there always had the most recent sightings posted--sometimes from earlier that day even! Yet, hour after hour, day after day, year after year, we sat and waited with no luck. We had high powered binoculars. We had patience. We had determination. And still no Bighorns. 

The first year Wes joined us in Colorado, we told him just how hard it was to find these animals and how we were pretty sure it was a curse placed on Dad. That year we finally had our good luck charm, Wes. Not only did we see one, but we saw HERDS of Bighorns all over the mountains! 

I hope you are able to see some wildlife during this trip. Here are a few animals that you might encounter starting from the least exciting to the most exciting in my personal opinion. 

• Chipmunks/Ground Squirrels: They are are everywhere. If you take the Aerial Tramway to the top of a mountain, you can even feed them peanuts from your hand. It's a fun thing that the boys (and I) like to do. As you can imagine, Wes is the photographer for this activity. 
• Hummingbirds: They are everywhere flowers are found. Try to get close and take their picture--it's a Noring competition! 
• Deer: There are lots of Mule Deer around Estes Park. The have distinct ears like a mule, and I like to see them. Since we see a lot of deer in Iowa, they are "low" on my excitement list. 
• Coyotes & fox: Watch the prairie areas in RMNP--they are there! 
• Elk: I love the elk! You can typically spot them early in the morning or at sunset eating plants close to the road. They are definitely an Estes Park staple. We have good luck finding them on Fall River Road (drive back in through the condo properties/side streets), by the golf course, and by the Stanley Hotel. And they are usually numerous in RMNP too! 
• Big Horn Sheep: Look near Bighorn Sheep Meadows in RMNP.
• Black Bear: I have yet to see a black bear, and I think the four of us are the only ones who haven't seen one yet. Tim & Cassidy saw one last year just a little bit past Castle Mountain Lodge. There have been black bears by our cabins but we weren't there to see them! Supposedly you can also see them south of town by Lily Lake. Note: Don't leave any food outside unattended!! 
• Moose: They are my favorite animal in RMNP. I've only seen one female before and I'd LOVE to find a male moose. They don't typically come to the Estes Park side of RMNP, rather hang out by Grand Lake on the west side. 

While I know there are mountain lions and wolves in RMNP, I refuse to acknowledge their presence. I hope to never see one of these up close! :) 

I bet he stopped at Donut Haus--he's licking his lips!