WALLOWA COUNTY WILDLIFE

The diversity of the Wallowa County landscape provides habitat for many varieties of wildlife.

The mile deep gorge of Hell’s Canyon with the winding Snake River and the steep canyons holding the Grande Ronde River flowing past Troy are perfect for the wild goats and Bighorn Sheep that live there.  Troy is also a hot spot for blue ribbon steelhead fishing and a variety of trout.

Lately a small herd of moose have moved into the area and show no inclination of leaving and we’ve heard stories of a wolf or two in the Troy/Flora area.

The breathtaking Wallowa Mountains, towering above Joseph and Enterprise is a haven for elk and deer. If you are lucky you may spot bear, cougar, eagles, mountain goats, big horn sheep, and even an occasional wolf.

The rugged Eagle Cap Wilderness is home to a variety of wildlife, and the high mountain lakes and rivers are teeming with a variety of trout, steelhead and salmon, which provides excellent fishing.

Wallowa Lake has land-locked kokanee salmon, and rainbow trout. In the fall you can see bald eagles harvesting their own kokanee.  We’ve never seen it, but Indian legend tells of a huge monster living deep in the lake (Wally).

If you like bird watching, Wallowa County is host to over 250 species of birds. From hawks, bald & golden eagles,  geese, ducks,  blue herons, grosbeaks, and ravens, to many varieties of game bird, including, grouse, chucker, turkey, pheasants and quail to name a few.

If you feel like roughing it on your fishing trip, try Dug Bar for some small mouth bass, crappie, sturgeon, catfish, trout, or steelhead. Its best to take a 4-wheel drive truck. Or you can hike from the end of the road following the Imnaha River to the Snake, and you’ll probably see otters playing in the river.  My husband was leading a pack string in that area a few years ago, and a cougar jumped across the trail in front of him.

Every season brings a new wildlife experience, and every turn in the trail a new wildlife adventure. So make sure you keep a camera handy.