Since our time was limited and we weren’t familiar with the terrain in snow, we decided to take a tour with Jackson Hole Wildlife Safaris (JHWS) to increase our chances to see wildlife.
We’ve done a fair share of wildlife viewing over the years, which can always be hit or miss. On this trip, we saw moose, bison, bighorn sheep, bald eagles, and elk on our half-day safari. Either we were really lucky, or our tour guides know their wildlife (probably both).
JHWS is the only tour company that completely focuses on wildlife, although there are other companies that offer similar wildlife and other scenic tours in Jackson Hole. And because they have a network of guides and are spending time in the park every day, they are able to share info with each other and know the pattern of how the animals move. It’s amazing how they can spot animals from such long distances when they look like ambiguous dots to us.
In between looking for wildlife, our guide taught us a lot about the history of the area and its relationship to the animals. He knew the area intimately since he was a naturalist in Yellowstone National Park for many years too.
On top of that, the groups are small, they pick you up from your hotel, and provide snacks, binoculars, and spotting scopes.
