Wildlife

The wilderness character of the Upper Missouri National Wild and Scenic River provides good wildlife viewing opportunities. During the summer the river is alive with waterfowl, including ducks, geese, and the majestic pelican. Bald Eagles and Golden Eagles are not an uncommon sight. Many other birds can be seen in the riparian areas along the banks. Whitetail and Mule Deer are frequently seen along the banks, and elk inhabit badlands along the lower stretch of the river, which is also an excellent place to look for bands of Bighorn Sheep, Bighorn Ram which are commonly seen.

Other unusual and interesting animal inhabitants are lizards, snakes, turtles, toads, frogs, bats, squirrels, and fox.

It is not uncommon to hear the wail of coyotes in the distance at night, or the hoot of an owl perched overhead in the limb of a towering cottonwood tree as it searches for prey. Mountain lions and bobcats have been spotted, although very, very rare.

Beaver are commonly seen swimming in the river, and they slap their tails and dive as canoes approach; these beaver are not dam builders, instead inhabiting cavities dug into the mud of the river's banks.

Three animal species that are missing from the Upper Missouri are the Grizzly Bear, the Plains Bison, and the now extinct Audubon Sheep. Of these, the Bison deserves re-introduction, and there are a number of locations in the Badlands section of the river where large tracts of public land could support small herds.