The Salt River Valley, called by the Shoshone Indians a "heap fine hunting ground" and often termed the star of all valleys, is one of Wyoming's most productive and diverse wildlife areas because of its unusually high precipitation and topographic features. Sandhill cranes, Canada geese, ruffed grouse, and bald eagles nest there, and the valleys of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, including Star Valley, are important waterfowl production areas for western North America. In 1987, trumpeter swans were transplanted to the valley from Montana and have wintered there since. Protecting and improving the river's streambanks and wetlands for fish and wildlife are important to the area and its people. Big game animals that summer and winter in the surrounding mountains and foothills provide some of the best hunting in Wyoming, and trophy elk, mule deer, and moose abound in the rugged Caribou, Salt, Wyoming, and Palisades ranges. Thousands of visitors come to hunt, fish, observe, and enjoy wildlife in this scenic area, reflecting the importance of Wyoming's wildlife to the state and its people.