Trip Report ~ by Bill Hamblin

11 - 13 June 2010

~ June 2010 ~

Friday - 11 June

I left work just after noon and made good time, breaking over Dunraven Pass around 4:00 PM. Ralph found a sow with two yearlings from Trashcan # 57 way across and high up on the backside of Specimen. First time we have seen this sow with the two yearlings since she was in Crystal drainage about a month ago. At 5:15 PM I found a courting pair of black bears (cinnamon boar and black sow) on Specimen Ridge. At 6:03 PM I found a sow grizzly with three cubs of the year (coy) on the second finger of Norris Mountain viewing from Footbridge Pullout. At 7:00 PM I spotted a black bear in a high clearing east of Penny Lane. At 8:00 PM I found a sow grizzly with two coy's on the meadow south of K Meadow. At 8:25 PM I scoped out a grizzly low in Salad Bowl. At 8:30 PM I found a black bear low in Salad Bowl, not that far from the grizzly. Looking for wolves from Slough Creek Parking lot, found a black bear north of Slough and east of the den area (no wolves for the entire weekend - both the Lamar Canyon and Silver Packs were visible from time to time, but I just missed them). At 8:45 PM I spotted a grizzly south of Slough Creek east of Crystal. Soon after found a grizzly high south of Slough Creek. At 9:10 PM I found two just cast off yearling black bears from the Yellowstone River Bridge. I did have a badger near long pullout and a cow moose at the confluence tonight.

Saturday - 12 June

Most of the action for the weekend was found on the east end of Lamar and in the Soda Butte area. At 5:50 AM Ralph located a grizzly sow with two coy's in the clearing behind and south of K Meadow which we are now calling K-2. She was in view on of off most of the day. At 6:50 AM Doug found a grizzly on Specimen Ridge. At 7:30 AM I found a grizzly sow with three coy's high in A-Z Meadow. At 9:00 AM I spotted a grizzly sow with at least one cub in a high meadow above and west of K Meadow. We had not seen this one before, but it was a brief sighting and only were sure of one coy. At 9:30 AM we found a nice large Cinnamon bear in Penny Lane. At 9:40 AM as I was coming west from Footbridge, found a small jam in the road where the beaver has been crossing, but was delighted to find them looking at a colorful grizzly sitting in the ridge 25 yards off the road, watching the traffic and wanting to cross the road. Ralph thinks he has his Christmas Card picture for this year. At 10:20 AM I found a black bear east of square meadow. At 10:45 AM I spotted a courting pair of black bears in Crystal Drainage. At 10:50 AM I found another black bear in Crystal. At 11:30 AM I spotted a good sized black bear just across the Yellowstone River Bridge.

At 12:30 PM a black bear (one) jam at Rainy Lake. At 5:30 PM I found a black bear high NE of Footbridge Pullout. At 5:35 PM I made a good spot of a grizzly with two coy's on the 5th finger of Norris Mountain (out for next 2 hours plus). At 8:00 PM we had a black bear east of the Lamar Canyon den area. At 8:20 PM there were two separate bear jams near Rainy Lake (the just cast off black bear yearlings were about .25 mile apart now). During the morning we found a badger den north of Footbridge with three large young one with mom. Ralph had more near Trashcan and he had seven badgers for the day.

Sunday - 13 June

At 5:10 AM I found a large black bear in Crystal. At 5:50 AM I spotted a large black bear on Druid Peak. Laurie for Helena found the sow grizzly with three coy's in North Bear Meadow. At 6:20 AM Ralph found a large collared colorful grizzly north of Trashcan. Laurie located a grizzly on Norris Mountain, it was a nice spot from Picnic Area. Then Doug, wolf watcher, called in large grizzly east of the Rendezvous area. At 8:00 AM when the sun got high enough, I found the grizzly sow with two coy's in the same clearing on the 5th finger of Norris. At 8:15 AM Ralph found a grizzly on K2, a single, couldn't find the sow with two coy's there this morning. And finally Laurie called having two sub adult grizzlies on the 2nd finger of Norris.

Other News

A coyote den near the low pullout east of Dorothy's Knoll. The rivers like the Madison and the Gibbon have cleared and have lots of fisherman. The ones in the northeast are still high and muddy (the Lamar has dropped over 6 feet this week). Lots of bison jams on the roads now, must be moving to summer ranges. The grizzly sow with two coy's has been seen around Twin Lakes and the grizzly sow with four coy's is still hunting and catching elk calves at Swan Lake Flats. Been seeing nice pictures of the fox den in Silver Gate. The weather was high 40's and unsettled Saturday, and they closed the Bear Tooth Pass again because of snow.

by John William Uhler

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