Area Wildlife

Sun West Ranch is justly famous for its wildlife, with the diversity
of species too numerous to mention. Between 3,000 and 4,000 elk pass through the Ranch on the way to their winter home, and sightings of deer are a daily occurrence all year. You'll commonly see moose in the lower, brushy areas along the river, coyote and fox hunting varmints in the meadows and fields, or a black bear loping through once in a while. Wolves, grizzlies and mountain lions inhabit the surrounding ranges while along the wetlands you'll see sandhill cranes, eagles, grouse and Canadian geese that hatch their young near our bridge over the Madison River.

Because there are so many animals that call this place home, Sun West Ranch does everything with extreme conservation stewardship at the forefront of every Ranch initiative. A recent pond project—in itself a significant wetland improvement—exceeded all the state reclamation requirements. Only a short time from completion, the pond already looks like it's been there forever, and waterfowl have been enjoying it from day one.