Venture across the National Elk Refuge to the sounds of snow crunching beneath the horses’ feet, encountering sights that can only be found in this unique setting. On average, there are roughly 5,000 elk that migrate to the Refuge during the winter months. If you're lucky you may even see more (herds of up to six to eight thousand have been reported). Elk are usually seen on the Refuge from December to April. In late spring, elk begin migrating off the Refuge toward their summer ranges. Between October and December, heavy snow push the elk down from high elevation summer ranges to lower elevations in Jackson Hole in search of food and shelter. The Refuge is a haven for a variety of wildlife in the area including bison, pronghorn, bighorn sheep, trumpeter swans, bald eagles, cutthroat trout, wolves, mountain lions and grizzly bears.