Wildlife Viewing

Viewing opportunities: Photography and wildlife viewing enthusiasts will find the bison on their winter range in the Delta are fairly accessible, although respect and caution are urged when approaching this large animal. Bison are frequently visible throughout the summer at an overlook near Mile 242 on the Richardson Highway. Binoculars or a spotting scope are essential

Black Bears inhabit most of the forested of Alaska , except some of the large islands in the Gulf of Alaska and Southeast Alaska.  They are found from sea level to the alpine areas.
Black Bears can range in color from black(most common), brown and cinnamon.
Black bears are the smallest of the North American bears. Adult bears stand about 29 inches at the shoulders and measure about 60 inches  long. 
Upon emergence in the spring, Black Bears feed on  freshly sprouted green vegetation as their main food item, but they will eat nearly anything they encounter. Winter-killed animals are readily eaten, and in some areas black bears have been found to be effective predators on newborn moose calves. As summer progresses, feeding shifts to salmon if they are available. In areas without salmon, bears rely primarily on vegetation throughout the year. Berries, especially blueberries, are an important late summer-fall food item. Ants, grubs, and other insects help to round out the black bear's diet. 
An average adult male in spring weighs about 180-200 pounds, however they are considerably lighter when they emerge from winter dormancy and may be 20 percent heavier in the fall before hibernation.

Brown Bears (Grizzlies) are very much a part of the Alaska scene and are a favorite topic with most hunters, hikers, photographers, and fishers. The term “brown bear” is commonly used to refer to the members of this species found in coastal areas where salmon is the primary food source. Brown bears found inland and in northern habitats are often called “grizzlies”. Brown bears can be found throughout Alaska with the exception of the Aleutians and a few islands in the Southeast.  They Prefer open areas such as tundra, coastlines, and alpine meadows.
Mature males weigh between 500 and 900 pounds with extremely large individuals weighing as much as 1,400 pounds.  Females weigh half to three-quarters as much. An extremely large brown bear may have a skull 18 inches long and 12 inches wide. Such a bear, when standing on its hind feet, is about 9 feet tall.
Inland bears are usually smaller than coastal bears, probably because they do not have a readily available supply of protein-rich food, such as salmon, in their diet.
Like humans, brown bears consume a wide variety of foods. Common foods include berries, grasses, sedges, horsetails, cow parsnips, fish, ground squirrels, and roots of many kinds of plants. In some parts of Alaska, brown bears have been shown to be capable predators of newborn moose and caribou. They can also kill and consume healthy adults of these species and domestic animals. Bears are fond of all types of carrion as well as garbage in human dumps.

Caribou are herd animals and have been a distinctive part of the Alaska landscape for thousands of years.  Caribou are found throughout the state except for the southeastern Panhandle and most of the off shore islands.
Caribou are large members of the deer family and the only members which both sexes grow antlers. Biologists estimate that there are close to a million caribou in Alaska.
Caribou are largely a foothills mountain animal found at or above the timberline.
In the summer caribou eat a variety of  plants which includes willow leaves, grasses, and flowering plants. In the winter they eat lichens, small shrubs,  and dried sedges.
The weight of Mature bulls average 350-400 pounds and mature females average 175-225 pounds nds. Females weigh half to three-quarters as much. An extremely large brown bear may have a skull 18 inches long and 12 inches wide. Such a bear, when standing on its hind feet, is about 9 feet tall. Inland bears are usually smaller than coastal bears, probably because they do not have a readily available supply of protein-rich food, such as salmon, in their diet
There are 32 different herds in Alaska , the Delta herd consists of aprox. 3,200 caribou.

Lynx  is the only cat native to Alaska. Lynx habitat over most of northern North America
Because they are shy and unobtrusive animals, people think that lynx are scarce. In Alaska, however, they are commonly seen during long periods of summer daylight, especially during years that they are abundant. “Link” is a common local name for lynx in Alaska and the Yukon.
The lynx is a large, short-tailed cat, similar to the bobcat, but distinguished by its long legs, furry feet, the long tufts on the tip of each ear, and a completely black-tipped tail. The large broad feet function as snowshoes to aid the lynx in winter hunting and traveling. The dense soft fur is buffy grey with indistinct spotting. Most adults weigh from 18 to 30 pounds. Male lynx are generally larger than females and occasionally weigh 40 pounds or more.
The primary prey of lynx in most areas is the snowshoe hare, grouse, ptarmigan, squirrels, and small rodents.

Moose  are the world's largest member of the deer family. The Alaska race is the largest of all the moose.   Moose are found throughout the state and are most abundant in recently burned areas that contain willow and birch shrubs, on timberline plateaus, and along the major rivers of Southcentral and Interior Alaska.
During fall and winter, moose consume large quantities of willow, birch, and aspen twigs. In some areas, moose actually establish a "hedge" or browse line 6 to 8 feet above the ground by clipping most of the terminal shoots of favored food species. Spring is the time of grazing as well as browsing. Moose eat a variety of foods, particularly sedges, equisetum (horsetail), pond weeds, and grasses. During summer, moose feed on vegetation in shallow ponds, forbs, and the leaves of birch, willow, and aspen.
Males in prime condition weigh from 1,200 to 1,600 pounds. Adult females weigh 800 to 1,300 pounds.
Biologists estimate that there are roughly 155,000 moose in Alaska
Moose are often seen in the early morning and evening hours feeding on vegetation  in shallow ponds and eating leaves from birch and willow trees along the highway.

Wolves are found throughout mainland Alaska and on all of the major islands in Southeast.  Wolves are carnivores, and in most of mainland Alaska moose and/or caribou are their primary food, with Dall sheep being important in limited areas. In Southeast Alaska, Sitka black-tailed deer, mountain goats, and beaver are the most important sources of food. During summer, small mammals including voles, lemmings, ground squirrels, snowshoe hares, beaver, and occasionally birds and fish are supplements in the diet. The rate at which wolves kill large mammals varies with prey availability and environmental conditions. A pack may kill a deer or moose every few days during the winter. At other times, they may go for several days with almost no food.
The pelt color of wolves living in Alaska ranges from black to nearly white, with every shade of gray and tan between these extremes. Gray or black wolves are most common.
Wolves can still be seen and heard in most parts of Alaska by those willing to spend time in remote areas.
Most adult male wolves in Alaska weigh from 85 to 115 pounds, but they occasionally reach 145 pounds. Females average 5 to 10 pounds lighter than males and rarely weigh more than 110 pounds. Wolves reach adult size by about 1 year of age.