Owyhee Wildlife

Nature Conservancy volunteer Ken Miracle sends these photos of sagebrush wildlife from a recent trip to the South Fork of the Owyhee River.

The first is a sage grouse protecting her brood. It's an important time of year for sage grouse, as the young are busy consuming protein in the form of insects.

Of course, on any hike in the Owyhees, you may encounter a Western rattlesnake. They're very interesting animals, and the chances of being bitten are extremely remote.

Some of Idaho's most rewarding wildlife viewing is in the sagebrush country of the Owyhees. Bighorn sheep and mountain lions, badgers and bobcats, prairie falcons and golden eagles, are all abundant here.

Recent legislation creating Owyhee wilderness, and Conservancy conservation projects that control weeds, restore native plants and restore wetlands, provide a hopeful future for this wildlife.

Get out and enjoy the extensive publics land--your land--in the Owyhees. Abundant wildlife and adventure await those who get off the interstate.