BONNERS FERRY — This past week end, I had the opportunity to travel around Wall Mountain to explore one of my favorite mountain areas. The location is close to Bonners Ferry, just past Dawson Lake on Meadow Creek Road, a comfortable ride and scenic excursion. The old logging road goes around Wall Mountain and continues almost to the top of Queen Mountain before it descends from the summit to the east side and then around Queen Mountain where there is a clear view of the Moyie River and the Cabinet Mountains of Idaho and Montana. This trip is always a beautiful experience of flora and fauna.

When I was rounding a corner on the west side of Wall Mountain overlooking the Kootenai River valley as it heads up to Canada, I saw something I didn’t expect to see. A quiet, unassuming snowshoe hare was basking in the sunlight. He set silently on the dusty logging road chewing on grass as if waiting patiently for me to continue on my journey as many travelers have surely done already this summer. In a glance at his large feet, I could see where the snowshoe hare gets his name. His large hind feet were unmistakable, and you could see how they would prevent him from sinking into the snow when he walks or hops on his travels. His toes can also spread out to act like snowshoes. In my research on the snowshoe hare, I discovered that these large feet also have fur on the soles, which protects them from the cold and increases traction.

As seen in the photo, the summer fur is rusty, grayish brown. During the winter, its coat is white, except for grayish feet and black-tipped ears. The snowshoe hare’s other common name is varying hare, which is derived from the changing of his coat color. It takes 70 to 90 days for the snowshoe hare to complete its molt.

At home in the forest

As I watched the snowshoe hare, I could see that he was comfortable in the forest. The hares prefer habitats with plenty of under vegetation, which provides cover from predators as well as relatively warm, protected places of shelter. In the summer, they feed on plants such as grass, ferns and leaves; in winter, they eat twigs, bark from trees, and buds from flowers and plants.

The snowshoe hare is usually nocturnal, so it was quite a treat to see him in the morning. The species is shy and secretive. It spends a lot of it day in the shadows under ferns, brush thickets and downed timber.

Like most hares and rabbits, snowshoe hares are prolific breeders. Females have two or three litters each year, which includes one to eight young per litter. Young hares require little care from their mothers and can survive on their own in a month or less. Snowshoe hare populations fluctuate about once per decade. These up and down variations greatly impact the animals that count on them for food, particularly the lynx and bobcat.

A number of predators count on the snowshoe hare as a major prey item. Some of the predators include bobcats, Canada lynx, foxes, coyotes, domestic dogs, domestic cats, wolves, black bears and golden eagles.

As I adjusted my camera for a close up picture, I was amazed to look up and realize he was gone. He had slipped quietly into the forest. Hopefully I will see him again soon. It will be interesting to follow his color changes when he turns white this winter.

Enjoy the wildlife in Boundary County!

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