About the Refuge Nestled beside the Selkirk Mountains of
northern Idaho, this 2,774 acre refuge provides diverse habitats
for a large variety of wildlife including moose, elk, deer,
bear, otter, bald eagles, and migratory waterfowl such as
mallards, northern pintail, and teal. Kootenai National Wildlife
Refuge is located in Idaho's Panhandle approximately 20 miles
south of the Canadian border and 5 miles west of Bonners Ferry,
Idaho. Established in 1964 as a migratory waterfowl refuge,
Kootenai National Wildlife Refuge provides habitat for more than
220 species of birds, 45 species of mammals, and 22 species of
fish. Wetlands, meadows, riparian forests and cultivated
agricultural fields (for producing valuable wildlife food crops)
are interspersed in the valley bottom adjacent to the west banks
of the Kootenai River. Wetlands include open-water ponds,
seasonal cattail-bulrush marshes, tree-lined ponds and rushing
creeks. The western portion of the refuge ascends the foothills
of the scenic Selkirk Mountains w