Whether it’s fence-busting elk, bear prints on Unskiabowl, stranded pronghorn or moose with Christmas lights entangled in their antlers, Jackson Hole’s wildlife is responding with the usual unusual behavior in the midst of winter’s throes.

In the past two weeks, wildlife managers with the Wyoming Game and Fish Department have responded to a number of moose-vehicle collisions, a road-killed mountain lion on Ski Hill Road in Alta, and an elk with its antlers stuck in a National Elk Refuge fence. On Jan. 12, National Elk Refuge officials used a lasso and a snowcat to tow a spike bull out of the marshy area at the south end, only to have it wade back into Flat Creek.

Wyoming Game and Fish spokesman Mark Gocke said that, for ungulates like deer, elk and moose, the strange intrusions into residential areas occur because people have developed their winter range.

“We have built our town right in the middle of traditional winter range,” he said. “I’ve heard some estimates that we’ve used three-fourths of the elk winter range in this valley. These animals still want to winter here. We happen to be living in that [area].”

What that means for Jackson residents is that elk heading from the Snake River to the elk refuge have to cross a highway. The elk that got its antlers caught in the refuge fence was likely spooked by cars.

“We have a number of elk jumps in the fence along [the highway],” Gocke said. “They’re definitely helpful, but the elk don’t always find them. The elk decided it couldn’t find the elk jump and it was going to try to bust through the fence on its own.”

As winter wears on, more big animals will move down into conflict situations, Gocke said. And this year, a pattern of erratic weather that included heavy snow, subzero temperatures, rain and a stint of warm, sunny weather might make things even more difficult for ungulates.

“We did have a warm spell there, and it’s going to freeze and then we get a crust layer,” he said. “Not only is it not much fun to ski on but it’s also hard for wildlife to paw through. That’s when we start seeing moose in residential areas.”

This time of year, moose often move into neighborhoods such as Cottonwood, Melody Ranch and Rafter J. With last year’s snowpack, moose even ventured into town, taking shelter in doorways and even the Kmart parking lot.

“We get calls from all around the valley,” Gocke said. “By and large, people are pretty tolerant of these animals. It’s disappointing when you spend a lot on landscaping ... and a moose can destroy it in an hour, but that’s what comes with living in these areas.”

Wildlife watchers say a slow start to the winter might have duped some of Jackson Hole’s pronghorn herd into lingering in the Gros Ventre Mountains before the heavy snows began in mid-December. They usually migrate down to Trappers Point near Pinedale by late October or early November.

According to Cora resident John Fandek, two of his neighbors spotted about 80 pronghorn near Mosquito Lake in early January. That water body is near Union Pass close to the Continental Divide above the Green River.

“We speculate that these were probably animals from the Jackson Hole herd that got hung up in the Gros Ventre during the mild weather in December,” Fandek said. “Over the years, I’ve seen some stragglers, but I’ve never seen this many come through this late. They were dying four or five a night.”

With the help of the area game warden, Fandek used a snowcat to plow a path for the pronghorn. Of the 80 or so animals that were initially seen, about 60 made it to Trappers Point.

“This was a pretty tragic situation,” he said. “They were played out by the time they got here.”

Leon Chartrand, executive director of the Jackson Hole Wildlife Foundation, said the recent warm weather might be causing some bears to exit their dens for a look around. Chartrand said he’s received a report of black bear tracks on Unskiabowl, a high-elevation slope north of Teton Pass.

“It’s not unusual for the bears to come out of the den for a little bit in the winter,” he said, explaining that a skier or a snow slide can also prompt a bear to leave its den.

Chartrand advised Jackson Hole residents to give wildlife plenty of space during this difficult time of year. Moose, especially, can turn aggressive when approached by humans or pets.