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Yellowstone Up Close and Personal

21 - 23 September 2007 Trip Report

Bear and Wolf Sightings ~ Trip Report ~ by Bill Hamblin


Friday - September 21st

I left work around 2:00 p.m. and arrived at Antelope Creek before 6:00 p.m. The colors of the trees are in full bloom in the high country, reds in Island Park and yellows on the trees in Yellowstone. In fact, I pulled over twice to see what photographers were watching, and discovered they were taking pictures of the trees. I didn’t see anything at Antelope Creek. Apparently the pups haven't been seen since the three Washington photographers went down into Antelope Creek and chased them for pictures (at least Collette got them for three infractions). Apparently the sow with four cubs has been out only once or so from last weekend. Bob L had heard that she was down to three, but John Kerr (bear management/bear jam guy) says still four, but one lags behind a lot, sometimes crosses road later than mom and the first three. If fact coming out today I passed him and he told me on the wolf radio that she had been out Saturday night late again. I spotted a black bear at Calcite. I headed from Junction Butte to watch and heard that there was a black bear, a grizzly bear and 12 Agate wolves at Elk Creek. Arriving at Elk Creek I found the black bear right off the road (bear jam had Brian Chan on it), the grizzly was in the golden field down below - left of the place the dinner wagons that on the nightly cook outs, but never did find the wolves. Nice evening, clear and not too cold at Silver Gate, as all the campgrounds were full, or at least the ones I wanted to stay in.


Saturday - September 22nd

I started at Coyote Overlook, but quickly moved to Slough Creek when I heard the wolves were out and a bear was on an old carcass. I found the grizzly, a large dark one, moving away in the bottoms and eventually moved north up over Junction Pass. The wolves were all over, but mostly bedded down even in early a.m. I convinced myself that I had counted 18 of the 21 supposedly out. A grizzly later showed up near the Yellowstone Bridge quite close, but I missed it, probably the one from Elk Creek the night before. I headed for Antelope Creek and there was a gray wolf in the mineral lick in the bottom. Then Diane Hardgrave spotted wolves north and across the road (looking straight back towards Tower). I ended up having 5 grays and 3 black at a minimum. In the afternoon a front moved through. The temperature was 71 and 30 minutes later down to 50; but returned into the low 60's later towards evening. There was quite a bit of rain, light mostly during the late afternoon and early evening. I was RV camping at Tower Campground this weekend. Norris, Tower and Pebble all close at the end of this weekend.


Sunday - September 23rd

The forecast had guessed getting up to 1 inch of snow above 6,800 feet; but it was still 47 in the a.m. at Tower; not even a little snow up on the top of Washburn. Found nothing for wolves and bears (at least that I could find) until they called in from Elk Creek. They had 16 Oxbow wolves (14 gray and 2 black) in two groups way back near Little Buffalo and were moving south. In fact they crossed just below that big green microware or whatever sign that is 2 miles from the road. Heading home, I spotted two gray wolves on par 4 at Antelope (later I guess more showed up). This was the only spot I made myself all weekend, everything else someone showed me or told me about. I wasn't going to stop into work on the way home, so I spent 45 minutes in Hayden looking for wolves but only found a large grizzly in the bottoms looking north from Grizzly Overlook. Other news: It must be fall since two horses have escaped from the outfitters up Slough Creek. Sunday morning I found one trying to cross the road just above the Tower Ranger Station. There were lots of photographers in the park, mainly on the west side for the elk rut. A few sandhill cranes were on the flats in Island Park.





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Sightings and Trip Report are from the North and Northeast Area of Yellowstone



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