Winter wildlife watch: critters to see at our parks in the dark months

Some animals go underground at this time of year, and some of us wish we could hibernate too. But here we are in November, awake — whether we like it or not. So, we might as well get to a park and explore, right?!

You may not expect to see wildlife in state parks right about now, but you’d be surprised. We asked our field staff what animals they’ve seen in the off-season and thought we’d share their pro tips and photos:

Coastal parks like Leadbetter Point and Bottle Beach host thousands of migrating birds in spring and fall. The tidal flats offer an all-you-can-eat buffet of fish and shellfish – a critical refuel on their long flights.
A huge flock of pelicans was recently spotted at Birch Bay.
Dosewallips famously welcomes a herd of Roosevelt elk each winter; they come down from the Olympic mountains to forage for food.
Moran is home year-round to piebald deer. While this color variant of Columbian black-tailed deer is fairly rare, it is relatively common in the deer on Orcas Island.
A Larrabee game camera recently caught a bobcat and cubs on a popular trail!
Earlier this month, Deception Pass staff spotted beaver and river otters.
Riverside staff say a group of mule deer come to the park in winter to find food, mating opportunities and shelter from the wind.
A staffer snapped a perfect bear print in the snow at Mount Spokane.
Yakima Sportsman has a resident porcupine. (Remember to keep yourself and your dog at a distance – ow!)
A staff member and her daughter recently followed a coyote track laid over a raccoon track in the snow at Fort Flagler.

If you see these or any other wildlife in our parks, please remember to keep a respectful distance, move slowly and quietly, do not try to feed them and keep your dog on a leash.