Elk are now grouping up into larger herds after calving and are easily seen on the Zumwalt Prairie and in other parts of the County. Deer fawns are just now becoming visible as they start to join their mothers during feeding hours early and late in the day. Prior to this they have mostly remained hiding while the does fed alone nearby.  

Hat Point is a very good place to see both bighorn sheep and mountain goats as they come to the area around the lookout tower to eat the abundant forage there and to visit salt licks in the area. Bighorn lambs and goat kids are about a month old now and very active as they follow their mothers through the cliffy area below the lookout tower.  

This year has given us a cool, wet spring and many wildflowers are still blooming in Wallowa County, especially in the mid- and higher elevations. This also means that our grouse and other ground nesting birds have yet to fledge their young. 

Many probably lost their first nesting attempts due to the cold weather, and so we should start seeing the results of their re-nesting in the next few weeks. Look for ruffed grouse in brushy areas along streams in the canyon bottoms early in the morning and for dusky grouse by driving or walking along the edge between forested areas and ridgetop meadows.