by Kirsten Callejas

Created on: November 11, 2008

Wildlife, Wildlife, Wildlife! The most important thing to remember as you hike the trails of the Targhee National Forest is the potential of running into wildlife. It can be one of the greatest joys but also could lead to disaster.

There is such excitement in waking up in the morning, peak your head out of the tent to find you are in the midst of a herd of deer grazing peacefully in the grass nearby. To walk down the trail and come face to face with a tall, lumbering moose (remember to calmly move aside and let him pass). To be awakened in the night to the sound of a mother bear and her two frisky cubs trying to get into your box where your food is stored. These events make hiking this area very awe-inspiring, but, you can see the potential for danger.

Most animals will stay away. They don't want to have an encounter with humans. Just making noise and talking is enough to deter them from coming too close. Careful that your food doesn't have a such a strong aroma that it might entice animals, especially bears, to join you. Many official campsites provide bear-proof boxes to store your food. Remember to store any garbage also. If there is no box provided, it is wise to store food hanging from a tree branch. It should hang at least ten feet from the ground and four feet from the trunk of the tree. Another good idea is to store the clothes you cooked in with the food since they might hold the smell of the whatever you cooked.

Give animals plenty of space. If you see an animal at a distance be sure to keep that distance between you. Don't approach an animal. Many of the trails within Targhee National Forest are crowded enough that even the visitor savvy animals avoid them. The best time to catch a peak at most wildlife is early dawn or dusk when they come out to feed.

The snow is heavy for most trails in the Targhee National Forest so hiking begins in mid to late June and can continue until September in some areas. Some trails have snow mobile access in the winter which provides for a beautiful way to see the area as a winter wonderland. If you want to access these trails earlier in the spring, snow mobiles are the way to go. If you are lucky you might see some of the animals with new babies. Be extra cautious at that time of year.

The Targhee National Forest is a great place to spend quality time with wildlife and nature. With both Yellowstone National Park and The Grand Tetons nearby, the time spent there could be endless.

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