Seeing Wildlife from the Train

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NETrainfan

NETrainfan

Lead Service Attendant
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
353
Location
Maine
We have seen many wild species during our Amtrak trips.

Would enjoy hearing of your sightings of wildlife from your trips.

Question? We have seen small herds of bison from the Southwest Chief in New Mexico. Does anyone know if there are wild bison in New Mexico? Perhaps they are ranch bison?
 
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They are probably ranch bison. You don't see many that aren't protected somehow (ranch, national park, etc).

When I ride the SWC, I like watching for the pronghorn antelope in northern NM. They're so pretty.
 
CZ across Colorado W/B, late November, 2006. Beautiful snowscape scenery, augmented by sightings of two eagles, one of which flew alongside the train for about a mile or so. Lots of free-ranging deer as well.

Ocala Mike
 
I've seen lots of deer on various routes including Lynchburger. I did see a flock of wild turkey in Wisconsin on EB.
 
If you want to see Wild Life ON the train, book a trip with a bunch of AU members on the same train!
laugh.gif
 
A few years ago on the EB heading east along the Mississippi River on the MN/WI border, our coach attendant told

us to watch out for bald eagles in a certain area just ahead. Sure enough, we saw a couple including one that

cruised "alongside" the train (above the water) for a good 30 seconds (or so it seemed).

Have also seen plenty of deer and pheasant along the EB in North Dakota (easy to spot in winter against the snow).
 
Several years ago traveling East on the CZ in April, my son and I saw more antelope, deer and elk than we could count, there was even a large herd of long horn sheep just past Glenwood Springs. The summer of 2010 we rode the Empire Builder West. While traveling thru Glacier Park I was sitting with my grand kids when I spotted a moose swimming in the lake. When I looked at them to see if they had seen it, the look on their faces was priceless.
 
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Last time I was on the CZ we saw views such as this. So many you couldn't count them all. And, the engineer was blowing the horn continuously as they wouldn't get off the tracks. We were told we grazed a few as they ran away at the last moment.

Panorama1-1.jpg
 
Last time I rode the Southwest Chief, I looked out the window as we neared Glorieta, New Mexico, and saw a couple of ostriches. Not sure whether they were pets or part of an emerging ratite ranching industry.
 
The last time we were on the EB, we watched closely through the Glacier NP area in both directions hoping to see moose or bear, but to no avail. However, as we continued on home, we saw a moose running alongside the train in the prairies of western North Dakota.

We've seen plenty of pronghorn along the SW Chief and EB routes.

This weekend, while on the Cardinal, we saw a fox curled up alongside the tracks just south of Wilmington, DE. Not terribly exciting, but it still seemed odd to see so close to civilization.
 
tubaia said:
The last time we were on the EB, we watched closely through the Glacier NP area in both directions hoping to see moose or bear, but to no avail. However, as we continued on home, we saw a moose running alongside the train in the prairies of western North Dakota.

We've seen plenty of pronghorn along the SW Chief and EB routes.

This weekend, while on the Cardinal, we saw a fox curled up alongside the tracks just south of Wilmington, DE. Not terribly exciting, but it still seemed odd to see so close to civilization.
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Maybe that was the one I saw recently behind my work (the tracks run back there).
 
I've seen deer and elk on numerous occasion. I remember seeing muledeer in Eastern Montana, and the pronghorn antelope in New Mexico also. While on the Zephyr, I have seen eagles and the mountain sheep as well. I've never seen the Rumpus Showumus on the Zephyr, but did see a large herd of juveniles of the species at the stop at Wishram, WA while on the EB. :lol:

Probably the most memorable sighting of wildlife was when I was a wee lad of five years old, in Glacier Park on the old Great Northern's version of the EB, when I saw a squirrel. Nothing too exciting about squirrels, but in this case, the train was on a curve, and I was able to see the squirrel run onto the tracks and get squished by the train. Even at the tender age of five, this appealed to my decidedly sick, twisted, and sadistic mind. :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
 
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Lots of Mule Deer a few Whitetail deer couple Elk and over 100 Bald Eagles while on the CZ. The area near Glenwood springs was the only open water in the middle of winter and Eagles were roosting in tree's all along the river where the warm water kept it open. Best place to find their favorite meal.

I don't have to get on a train to see wildlife tho. Just stand on my rear deck or front porch and watch the Whitetail deer and Wild Turkeys every day. Lots of smaller critters running around also. Right now looking out my computer room window I can see 4 deer eating acorns that have fallen off a nearby oak tree. My best turkey count was 112 in the backyard eating corn I tossed out for them a couple winters ago.
 
fairviewroad said:
A few years ago on the EB heading east along the Mississippi River on the MN/WI border, our coach attendant told

us to watch out for bald eagles in a certain area just ahead. Sure enough, we saw a couple including one that

cruised "alongside" the train (above the water) for a good 30 seconds (or so it seemed).
Click to expand...
I have seen quite a few bald eagles in this area on the Empire Builder as well. In fact, Minnesota has one of the highest populations of bald eagles in the lower 48.

I have also seen an impressive buck run away from the tracks after being startled by the Hoosier State, to which a fellow coach passenger shouted something about wishing he had a rifle.
 
SWC - antelope in Colorado

NE Regional - deer at various locations in Maryland, Connecticut and Massachusetts
 
Last December we were on the California Z. in CO and we were going west, and we were passing along one of those mountain rivers on the left, where you look way down below the tracks to a rather good sized mountain stream with rocks, etc... Anyway, there was an avid western hunter with his wife and son riding with us in the Sightseer Lounge - and sure enough, he spotted a large moose. Maybe it was a bull Elk, not sure of the exact species, but it was large, with antlers. Looked like a moose. We also saw a few eagles on that trip. And of course, deer.

On the CZ the Sightseer Lounge is so perfect for being able to see very well down those steep banks, cliffs, etc.. as well as looking up high above you onto the rocky mountain terrain that seems to sometimes hang right above the car. It's hard to beat that view...
 
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