Come wintertime, wildlife descends from snowy peaks to milder
climate February 21, 2012 By Tom Corrigan As the snow moves down
the mountains reaching lower elevations, so do most mountain
wildlife inhabitants, from small animals to deer and elk. And
just in case you were wondering, bears don’t hibernate. Those
are two basic bits of information passed on by local experts
asked to describe what happens to Issaquah wildlife during the
winter months. It’s not the temperature, but snow that motivates
most animals’ cold weather behavior, said Stephen West,
associate director of the School of Environmental and Forestry
Sciences at the University of Washington. For the most part,
cougars, deer and other local wildlife can tolerate any cold the
Northwest brings their way, West said. It’s mountain snow they
can’t deal with — it makes it more difficult for them to get
around and much more difficult for them to find food. So as snow
appears, many animals head for lower elevations. There are
exceptions, including bears. B