Preserving and Viewing Wildlife in Crested Butte, Colorado

Crested Butte, Colorado is a pristine community that centers around winter sports, like skiing and mountain biking. It’s a year-round destination for travelers, whether it’s for skiing, camping, or exploring the beautiful views the area has to offer.

Crested Butte is home to a lot of wildlife, including bears and mountain lions in certain territories. People might also see Bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, elk, moose, prairie-chickens, craines, and many more species. To view wildlife in and around Crested Butte, visit this website for the best areas for viewing. If you plan to watch wildlife in the area, it’s important to understand a few key factors.

If you’re in Bear Country, here are a few tips:

• Keep trash in bear proof containers or inside.
• Never leave pet food outside.
• Remove bird feeders at night.
• Clean BBQ grills or picnic tables after each use.
• Never feed a bear (or any other type of wildlife).
• Keep lower windows and doors sealed shut.
• If you’re camping, keep your camp site clean and food away from your camp.

These tips also go along with other wildlife. It is illegal to feed any kind of wildlife (with the exception of bird feeders). Feeding wildlife promotes bad habits for the animals and unfortunately, humans become less cautious around them.

The Crested Butte Land Trust has many ongoing conservation projects to protect open lands, vistas, recreation, and wildlife. The organization has been working to preserve an open space in Mt. Crested Butte after someone speculated buying the land for homes and a village within the town. Unfortunately, losing this land would mean the removal of wildlife and plantlife, two very important things to the area, the residents, and visitors. Within this open space are also many wetlands, which are extremely important for wildlife habitats, as well.

You can help out with preserving wildlife by doing simple things such as keeping a respectable distance from the wildlife, but also following the tips above. Additionally, you can donate to the Crested Butte Land Trust or to one of its many partners to go towards conservation efforts. You must also have a license to hunt the wildlife in the area. If you are looking to get your license and undergo proper training for hunting, please visit the Colorado Division of Wildlife for more information.

This is a guest post contributed by Alpine Getaways, a provider of Crested Butte vacation properties.

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