I thought the fun was done after a day of hiking on the Sulphur Skyline Trail and soaking in Miette Hot Springs – but seeing these bighorn sheep rounded out an amazing day in early July in Jasper National Park.

The bighorn sheep walked up close.  It was a chance to get a good look at the progress they’ve made shedding their thick winter coats for the summer.  But they seemed more intent on looking at me!

Two molting bighorn sheep ewes in the Canadian Rockies

I was really surprised when an ewe walked up close past a couple cooking on a grill in the picnic area.  The ewe hadn’t a care in the world and ignored the onlooking humans.

As I watched on, it was obvious how accustomed the bighorn sheep had become to tourists.

Bighorn sheep ewe in picnic area

Bighorn sheep ewe at Miette Hot Springs

One ewe even walked up to my rental car as I sat inside. Maybe she recognized me or something. ;)

For a split second the ewe seemed like it was going to climb onto my rental car – and I worried on how I’d explain it to the rental car agency.  Luckily, the ewe was just passing through.

A bighorn sheep ewe ponders climbing onto my rental car

Only bighorn sheep female ewes where to be seen.  The male rams often travel in separate groups.

Bighorn sheep ewes at Miette Hot Springs in Jasper National Park

It seemed like the picnic area wasn’t just for humans.  It is a good place for bighorn sheep picnics too.  This one was eating leaves off of the ground.

Bighorn sheep ewe eating leaves

What a day in Jasper National Park!

I saw the popular bird making a guest appearance during summertime in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada.

This one was hanging out at a lookout area on the Sulphur Skyline trail near Miette Hot Springs in Jasper National Park.  The bird was keeping an eye on my food, hoping for scraps.

White-crowned Sparrow in Jasper National Park, Alberta, Canada

A white-crowned sparrow in Jasper National Park

They jump around fast so getting a picture in focus wasn’t easy!

Driving through the grounds of Jasper National Park’s famous Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, I passed these 2 elk fully engaged in their duties as Lawn Care Specialists.

The grassy lawns of the Jasper Park Lodge are known to elk far and wide as a place for a delicious meal.

Elk at Jasper Park Lodge

Surprisingly, elk are not as harmless as they look and have been known to attack when people get too close. Keep a safe distance.

Related posts:

1. Photo of the Day: Sunwapta Falls black and white

It is fun for kids and grown-ups alike to try to guess what animal has which footprint.

Can you guess which is an elk, a bighorn sheep, a wolf or a bear?

Sometimes similar footprints can be spotted while out hiking in Banff National Park and surrounding Canadian Rockies.    When hiking, try to look for tracks in the dirt.  But don’t forget to look up every now and then.  The tracks in the dirt may be from an animal just up ahead.

Animal footprints in the Canadian Rockies display at the Banff National Park Information Centre

Knowing the type of footprint can come in handy.  Seeing fresh bear footprints in the mud could be helpful when trying to avoid face-to-snout encounters.

Black Bear in Banff National Park

Related posts:

1. Trekking Poles are the Secret Weapon of Happy Hikers in the Canadian Rockies and Beyond

A red fox.

Having been my first time seeing a red fox in person, I’d have to wait till I got home to verify the sighting.

I had known there are wolves and coyotes in Jasper but was surprised to see a red fox in Jasper National Park.

But there it stood at the Fiddle River lookout on Miette Hot Springs Road.

The fox sniffed around a garbage container for food, ignoring my slowly approaching car except for a quick glance.

A red fox in Jasper National Park glances at me then goes about its business

Seeing a red fox takes a lot of luck.  They tend to travel alone and cover a large territory.  Unlike the bighorn sheep and elk who are known to congregate in predictable locations, the red fox will go where the red fox wants to go.

A red fox in Jasper National Park looking for food

They tend to be active at dawn and dusk.  It was challenging to take a picture from far away in the low light conditions.

In a stopped car watching a red fox on Miette Hot Springs Road in Jasper National Park as it walks into a lookout parking lot.

The red fox looks like it is sightseeing. Maybe it is on vacation too.

The red fox seems to be looking for food.

The red fox heads into the woods. Before I knew it, the fox was gone.

The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) covers a wide range of geography in the northern hemisphere.  According to info on Wikipedia, the territory range of an individual red fox can be as big as 50 km² (19 square miles) or smaller than 12 km² (4.6 sq mi) when there’s lots of food to be found.

The author of a fascinating article here (MountainNature.com) about the relationship between wolves, coyotes and fox in the Canadian Rockies speculates that there may be a relationship between the sizes of wolf, coyote and red fox populations.  As the wolf population in the Canadian Rockies increases, the coyote population is reduced.  Because coyotes compete directly with the red fox, the red fox population increases.  So, with the recent increase in wolf populations comes an increase in red fox populations.

Maybe that means more red fox sightings in Jasper National Park.

Keep a lookout during your animal spotting adventures.

I was very lucky to spot this character on the Bow Valley Parkway near Banff townsite.

You may think black bears are all tough and scary (and you might be right).  But this one was relaxed and almost amusing with all sorts of leaves in its hair from traipsing through the woods.

This Banff National Park black bear was focused on one thing:  eating plants.  The bear didn’t give much attention to the tourists in their cars taking pictures.

Still, I stayed a safe distance away – for my safety and for the bear’s.  A tame bear must to be retrained, relocated or worse.

Black Bear in Banff National Park

“Seen one tourist with a camera, seen them all,” he seems to be saying to himself.

Black Bear in Banff National Park

Black Bear in Banff National Park

Related posts:

1. Photo of the Day: Johnston Canyon Trail in Banff National Park

These 2 elk fellows were walking along the Bow Valley Parkway 1A, a less traveled road that parallels Highway 1 from Banff townsite to Lake Louise Village.

Elk and other animals often use the road to get from place to place.  They’ve learned it can be an easy way to get to their vacation destinations too.

Elk in Banff National Park along Bow Valley Parkway 1A

Just avoid getting too close to the elk. They may look harmless but can be dangerous, especially during rutting season.

Related posts:

1. Photo of the Day: Johnston Canyon Trail in Banff National Park

The good news is that fellow travelers are looking too.  And when they see something…

SCREEEEEEETCHHH!!!!

“Stop the car, bighorn sheep!”

The result is an “animal jam”: lots of cars stopped in the middle of the road because wildlife is nearby.

An animal jam is your cue to slow down and look.  Maybe you’ll see something good, like a bighorn sheep, elk or black bear.  Just keep your distance and give the wildlife some space to do their thing.

I pulled over for an animal jam on Highway 16 in Jasper National Park

The pictured animal jam on Highway 16/Yellowhead Highway was a good one.  The reward was being lucky enough to see this gang of bighorn sheep hanging out on the side of the mountain.

Animal jams can happen in the least expected places (including curvy roads), so be careful driving.

Then, in the distance, I see a brown shape but don’t know what it is.

If it is a bear, I probably want to walk the other direction.

But instead, I proceed forward.

As I get closer, I see that it is a deer.  It looks straight at me, wondering if it should continue munching on veggies or run away.

Deer in Jasper National Park

I quietly walked by and the deer decided not to run.

These bighorn sheep were relaxing on Jasper National Park’s Highway 16 east hillside and posing for the camera.

During the daytime, there’s a good chance of seeing some sort of wildlife on Highway 16, but stumbling upon this group of bighorn sheep in Jasper National Park was a whole lot of luck.

Click the picture to view larger to count the bighorn sheep.

Bighorn Sheep in Jasper National Park

Is that amazing or what?