5 Wildlife Videos from the Uinta Mountains

By Emily Stifler Wolfe
ASC Staff

When Brittany Ingalls and Caitlin Pennington first tried to set up their camera trap near the 10,767-foot Bear Lake, the trail was impassible, blocked by thick deadfall.

“We crawled through a quarter mile of blowdown, under and over [fallen trees],” Ingalls recalls of their adventure in the High Uintas Wilderness. “It was general mayhem trying to get through, and there was no way to do it quickly.” Reassessing, they decided to set up the camera in a more accessible spot. 

Our 30 remote Uinta cameras have since captured hundreds of images of moose, bobcat, marten and others living in this beautiful corner of northeastern Utah. The volunteer teams have visited their research stations on three occasions, changing the batteries and bait, and retrieving SD cards.

“It’s been interesting to go back to these places multiple times... to watch as the foliage changes over and different wildflowers come in," Ingalls said. “It feels good to be contributing to a larger body of research, and I’ve learned a lot personally. It’s been an awesome experience.”

Black Bear Sow and Cubs 

A black bear sow and her two cubs try to pull the bait off a tree with no luck. The bait is a beef bone covered in a delightful substance called Gusto. Its secret ingredient? Skunk anal glands.  

Coyote

Coyotes are opportunistic feeders, meaning they will hunt when given the opportunity—day or night. They eat small game such as rodents, rabbits and fish, larger animals like deer, and when those aren't available, insects, snakes, fruit and grass.

Elk Cow and Calf

An elk cow and calf visit our camera trap. Elk calves are born in late May or early June, and this one still had its camouflage spots in July. 

Fox with Prey

A fox carrying a rabbit in its mouth is a cool view into the cycle of life. 

Moose

Moose may grow to more than six feet tall at the shoulders and weigh up to 1,400 pounds. Bulls' antlers begin showing in spring, and develop fully by late summer. This animal, likely a yearling, has spike antlers. When mature, the rack can stretch five feet across.

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