Free-Roaming Area

Alces alces Americanus

The North American moose is the largest member of the deer family, with long legs, a short neck, broad antlers, a prehensile muzzle and a dewlap on the throat.

Meet our moose.

Oreamnos americanus

With thick bodies,  white hair, padded hooves and jet-black horns, eyes and nose, mountain goats live on steep mountain slopes in the Rocky and Cascade Mountains, and Olympic Peninsula.

Meet our goats!

Cervus elaphus roosevelti

WHAT: Bulls have seanonally lighter coat colors and long, non-palmate antlers. Both sexes have an obvious pale yellow rump patch.
WHERE: Coastal areas and Cascade Mountains in Pacific Northwest.
SIZE: Length 8-10 ft.; height 5 ft.; weight 575-625 lbs. (female), 700-1100 lbs. (male).
EATS: Leafy browse and grasses.
BABIES: Breeding from September-November. After an 8 1/2-month pregnancy the female gives birth to a single calf weighing 30-35 lbs.
STATUS: Secure.
FUN FACTS:

• Roosevelt elk (named for President Theodore Roosevelt) are social, polygamous members of the deer family that can form very large herds.
• These may migrate from lowland ranges in winter to higher elevations in summer.
• They are very vocal, producing squeals, grunts and whistles. The bugling call of bulls in rut (breeding) season is particularly eerie.
• Visual communication is also complex, from erected rump hairs to signal danger, and neck stretching, laying back ears, lip curling, teeth baring, rearing, striking and antler sparring to signal aggression.

Bison bison

WHAT: North America’s largest land mammal, with a tufted tail and long brown hair that’s thicker in winter. Northwest Trek has plains bison; the other subspecies is wood bison.
WHERE: Plains and open grasslands.
EATS: Grasses.
BABIES: Breeding from July-August. After a 285-day pregnancy, females give birth to a single calf, reddish-brown and weighing 40-50 lbs.
STATUS: Near-threatened.
FUN FACTS:

• Bison are ruminants (they ferment food in a special stomach) who live in herds.
• They roll in dust and mud to control parasites.
• During rut (breeding) season, bulls challenge each other with loud grunting roars, holding their tails aloft to signal threats.
• They also cover themselves with urine-soaked mud.

Rangifer tarandus caribou

WHAT: Caribou are large members of the deer family. Both cows and bulls can grow antlers, though the bulls’ are larger and more regular in shape. In winter their coat is light gray to white; in summer this coat sheds to reveal dark gray or black.
WHERE: Tundra and forests across Canada and northern U.S.
SIZE: Length 6.5-7.5 ft.; height 4-5 ft.; weight 150-400 lbs. (bulls), 175-225 lbs. (cows).
EATS: Mosses, lichens, leaves, grasses, stems and shoots.
BABIES: Breeding from September-November. After an 8-month pregnancy, females give birth to one calf (rarely twins) weighing 12-17 lbs.
STATUS: Vulnerable.
FUN FACTS:

• In rut (breeding) season, beginning in September, caribou lose the velvet from their antlers in dramatic red swathes.
• The bulls will fight in brief but violent bouts, eventually losing their antlers in October.
• Cows and calves sometimes make low grunts to keep in touch with each other; all will grunt when startled.
• They flare their white undertail to signal danger.

NOTE: Our caribou live in the Free-Roaming Area spring-fall. 

Odocoileus hemionus columbianus

WHAT: Columbian black-tailed deer have a distinctive dark brown or black brush-like tail that’s white underneath. Bucks are larger than does, with antlers that divide in even Y-shapes.
WHERE: Forest and meadows west of the Cascade Mountains.
SIZE: Length 6-7 ft.; height 3-4 ft.; weight 100-250 lbs.
EATS: Leaves, buds, twigs and grasses.
BABIES: Breeding from October-December. After an 8.5-month pregnancy, females give birth to one fawn the first year, twins thereafter. Fawns weigh about 7 lbs.
STATUS: Secure.
FUN FACTS:

• Blacktail are crepuscular feeders (they feed at twilight).
  They move up to higher locations in summer, back down in winter.
• While they’re not very social, they do form small bands to defend territory and protect their food.
• Unlike white-tailed deer, blacktail flee from danger with a stiff-legged, bouncing run.

Ovis canadensis

WHAT: Rams are larger than ewes, with larger curling horns. Both sexes have a prominent white rump patch.
WHERE: Isolated mountain meadows up to the tree line.
SIZE: Length 5.5-6 ft.; height 3-3.5 ft.; weight 100-300 lbs.
EATS: Alpine and meadow grasses in summer; leafy browse in winter.
BABIES: Breeding from October-December. After a 6-6.5 month pregnancy, ewes give birth to one lamb that weighs about 6-7 lbs.
STATUS: Least concern.
FUN FACTS:

• Bighorns are gregarious animals that live in herds of 10-25 sheep. Rams will stay in bachelor herds except during breeding season, while ewes, lambs and juvenile males live in the “ewe band” herd.
• Especially during rut (breeding) season, rams compete in head-butting jousts to determine dominance. Two rivals will face each other, rear on hind legs, drop to all fours, converge and finally slam together with a loud crack.
• Their specially-adapted skulls, neck tendons and vertebrae prevent serious injury.

Cygnus buccinator

WHAT: A water bird with white feathers and black bill. A light-colored “grin line” at the base of the bill distinguishes it from the similar Tundra Swan.
WHERE: Marshes, ponds and lakes in western and central U.S., Canada and Alaska.
SIZE: Length 54.3-62.2 in.; wingspan 79.9 in.; weight 16.9-28 lbs.
EATS: Aquatic plants.
BABIES: Breeding from May-July. The nest is made of plant matter in 1-3 feet of water. The female incubates a clutch of 1-9 eggs; cygnets hatch after 32-37 days.
STATUS: Secure.
FUN FACTS:

• Trumpeter swans form life-long monogamous pairs, but will seek a new mate if either dies.
• They establish territories of 70-150 acres in spring, vigorously defending them while mating, nesting and feeding cygnets. Families form tightly knit groups.
• Trumpeters make vocalizations that sound like a horn blowing.
• They also use posture to communicate: when the head is low and extended, it is a sign of aggression, while head-bobbing may signal anxiety, courtship, mate recognition or possible aggression.