Fall Colors

In the past few weeks around the Snake River Sporting Club it has been apparent that fall is just around the corner. With overnight lows dipping into the twenties last week, we were quickly reminded that the mild summer mornings will soon give way to crisp autumn ones. With the onset of fall, just as we begin to split and stack firewood and dig out our warmer clothes from storage, the local flora and fauna also begin to undergo some apparent changes. Native trees and plants are starting to go through the processes which help them to survive the harsh winters, while many of the large mammals are preparing to enter the mating season or “rut.”

Looking toward the steep hillsides surrounding the Club, it’s hard to miss the vibrant, crimson leaves of the rocky mountain maple. This shrub is generally located at the bottom of draws on steep arid slopes. An early turner, its bright red leaves are one of our first indicators of the change in seasons.

The narrow-leaf cottonwoods, located in the river bottom, are starting to take on a slight yellowish hue to their leaves as they begin to change in color prior to dropping for the winter. The quaking aspen, one of our more charismatic flora in the fall, have yet to begin their foliage change in earnest, but as the weeks roll on into September, the aspen stands in the area will begin to take on the most brilliant shades of yellow, red and orange.

In addition to the changes in the local plants brought on by our cooling evening temperatures, the local mammals, specifically the elk, have begun to change their behaviors and physical appearance. Slowly moving down from bountiful summers of grazing on grasses in the high country, the mature males, or bulls, will have fattened themselves up quite a bit and have re-grown their massive antlers after dropping them last spring. During periods of this antler growth, each bull’s antlers can grow upwards of an inch a day! As their hormone levels increase, resulting from a response to shortened daylight periods, these bulls will get more and more aggressive towards one another and more protective of the female elk, or cows, that have fallen into their breeding harems. Getting out in the evenings and listening to these regal males as they vocalize, or bugle, at one another and at females is a truly unique experience.

Whatever changes the local plants and wildlife are undergoing, one thing is for sure: The fall is one of the best times to get out and explore the amazing areas around the Club. So whether it’s a float trip on the river, a horseback ride in the hills or an evening listening to the elk bugle, make sure you come out and see all that fall at the Snake River Sporting Club has to offer.


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