Wildlife Viewing upclose (but not too) and personal
This has been quite a year for wildlife. Stories have been popping up from all over the map — bears wandering through Connecticut, moose strolling around Gardner, and all kinds of unexpected visitors showing up in places they normally avoid. It’s made me think about the trips I’ve taken where I got to see animals in their natural habitat instead of behind zoo glass. Honestly, it makes me want to go on a safari someday. Lions and tigers and rhinos… oh my.
I’ve always looked for wildlife when I travel — whale watches, manatees, anything with fins, fur, or feathers. But two vacations stand out above the rest: South Dakota and Wyoming.
South Dakota: The Highway Wildlife Parade
South Dakota was the first place I ever saw so many wild animals just… out and about. Pronghorn grazed right beside the highway. Deer darted across the Badlands and Black Hills. We even watched a whole herd of Big Horn sheep crossing the road, stopping traffic like they owned the place.
And the best part? People actually stopped for them. There was a respect for wildlife I don’t often see around here. Even with all those animals, there was surprisingly little road carnage — unlike Massachusetts, where you can tell the seasons by how many dead deer line the roadside.
Here’s what we saw in South Dakota:
- White‑tailed deer
- Mule deer
- Pronghorn
- Rabbits
- Bison
- Big Horn sheep
- Wild horses
- Wild burros (the famous “beggin’ burros”)
- Prairie dogs
- And Birds, lots of birds. Meadowlarks, Blue Birds, Swallows and a Road Runner (where’s Wile E. Coyote?)
Wyoming: The Elk Jackpot
Wyoming happened because it was the only place with elk available for a timeshare exchange. I’d started looking in Utah, but I ended up near Jackson Hole — and I hit the wildlife jackpot.
I wanted elk, and I got elk. I didn’t hear the iconic bugle — the rut was over — but I did get to see part of the elk migration. A huge herd of does, calves, and bulls moving across open fields toward their wintering grounds. It was breathtaking.
Elk were #1 on the list, but Wyoming had more:
- Grizzly bears
- Black bears (not always black, which got confusing)
- Mule deer
- Pronghorn
- Chipmunks
- Bison
- Moose
One of my favorite moments was seeing a mixed herd — bison, pronghorn, and deer — all grazing peacefully together like they’d formed a temporary wildlife union.
I looked for wolves in Yellowstone, but the Lamar Valley was quiet that day. Beautiful, but empty. I found geysers instead.
Wild Kingdom, Dusty Edition
I’ve had so many wildlife adventures over the years that I could practically write my own Wild Kingdom scripts. But that’s enough reminiscing for now.
With bears in Connecticut and moose in Gardner, maybe the next wildlife story will be closer to home than I think.