Wildlife in Southeast Idaho

From meek Mule Deer to great Grizzly Bears, Southeast Idaho is home to a variety of wildlife only found in this part of the country. While you’re here, see if you can spot some of these animals.

Bighorn Sheep are found in the Rocky Mountains, occupying alpine meadows and foothills close to rocky cliffs. They have chocolate brown fur and mainly eat grass, clover, and woody plants during the winter months.

Grizzly Bears are massive creatures weighing up to 600 pounds. They prefer low elevation meadows, open areas, and shrub communities. Their fur is dark brown, and they have a distinctive shoulder hump. Grizzly bears mainly eat vegetables with 10% of their diet coming from meat.

Pronghorn are reddish, tan animals that mainly live in grassland, sagebrush steppe, and desert habitat. Both males and females have horns. A pronghorn’s diet consists of leaves, grass, and sagebrush. They usually stay in bands of up to 25, depending on habitat.

Rocky Mountain Elk is the second largest elk subspecies, and Idaho has the third largest population behind Montana and Colorado. They are of large stature, with brownish yellow fur, and antlers on the bulls (males). Elk are primarily grazers and can live up to 15 years in the wild.

Black Bears are found throughout the entirety of Canada and the United States, and in parts of central Mexico. They are difficult to distinguish as their fur color can be black, brown, and blonde. You can set them apart from brown bears by their longer ears and small shoulder hump.

Mule Deer is the primary subspecies found in Southeast Idaho. They can weigh up to 330 pounds and are identifiable with their brown fur and white tails. Their lifespan is 9 to 11 years in the wild, and they usually eat grass, fruits, and nuts.

Mountain Lions are also known as cougars. These beautiful, big cats are sneaky hunters, using canyons, cliffs, and dense vegetations for coverage. In Idaho, mountain lions usually hunt deer, but they will also hunt for bighorn sheep and elk. They can run up to 50 mph and live in the wild for 13 years.

Mountain Goats live in eastern Idaho along the Wyoming and Montana borders in none other than the high Rocky Mountains. They mainly eat grass but because food can be scarce, they will eat many different plants. They have thick, white winter coats for camouflage.

Moose are the largest of all deer species standing up to 6.9 feet tall. Males can weigh 1,500 pounds and females up to 790 pounds! They are easily seen with their large frames and broad antlers. Moose have dark brown fur and live mostly in wooded areas.