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Trip Report ~ Bear and Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

17 - 23 May 2011




Yellowstone Wolf ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

~ May 2011 ~


Black bear cubs by John William Uhler Copyright © All Rights Reserved

Tuesday - 17 May

I left early (3:15 a.m.) and arrived just south of Swan Lake Flats about 6:15 a.m. I found a black bear feeding on a sagebrush ridge to the west. I glassed Swan Lake Flats for quite a while (rumors are that the sow with four (quad) cubs lost one or two cubs - sightings of a sow with two and then a sow with three yearlings only in that area this spring. I headed for Lamar Valley, just before the Yellowstone Picnic areathere was a large grizzly walking 40 yards off the road going towards Wrecker Pullout. At 7:45 a.m. I spotted a black bear south of the Slough Creek bathroom. At 8:15 a.m. I found a grizzly crossing the road just east of Coyote Overlook, and soon after, I spotted a grizzly in the rendezvous area. At 8:45 a.m. we had a courting pair of grizzlies low in the salad bowl viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 10:40 a.m. I found a grizzly south of the Soda Butte Cone. At noon we had a grizzly in Crystal Drainage viewed from the Slough Creek stop sign. At 4:30 p.m. I found a grizzly south of long pullout in Little America (same grizzly that has been near the construction area this spring). At 5:30 p.m. the grizzly sow with two two year olds in the big meadow east and south of the Institute were visible. At 6:15 p.m. we had two separate grizzlies in the rendezvous area. At 6:40 p.m. we spotted two gray wolves near 21's old crossing viewed from Hitching Post. At 7:45 p.m. a large black bear north of Coyote Overlook was spotted. Mammoth Campground has been filling up most evenings so I spent the night close to Silver Gate.

Wednesday - 18 May

At 5:15 a.m. I spotted a grizzly in Round Prairie. At 5:30 a.m. we had two separate grizzlies in the rendezvous area. At 5:45 a.m. 755M and the 06 female were spotted on the east end of Jasper Bench. At 6:00 a.m. the grizzly sow with two two year olds came out south of the Institute. At 6:45 a.m. we found a courting pair of grizzlies in a low meadow in Crystal Drainage (these were out and in view most of the day). At 7:05 a.m. we had a black bear south of Peregrine Pullout. At 9:00 a.m. I found two black wolves in the river corridor south of the Institute. They were not the males from Lamar Canyon Pack, Rick thought they could be from the old Gibbon Pack since four blacks visited the area in late April (one of those in April was collared). At 9:45 a.m. I sighted a grizzly on the skyline in lower Salad Bowl. At 9:50 a.m. we had three Agate wolves on the Specimen Ridge skyline viewed from Coyote Overlook - really small in the spotting scope at that range. At 9:30 a.m. the grizzly courting pair came out of the trees south of the Institute. At 10:30 a.m. a dark grizzly in Square (the Diamond) Meadow south of the Institute viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 5:45 p.m. we found a grizzly on Ski Slope. At 6:10 p.m. I spotted a grizzly in the rendezvous area. At 6:20 pm. a large black bear southeast of the Footbridge Pullout. At 6:30 p.m. we had a grizzly on the third finger of Norris. At 7:30 p.m. I found a black bear in the tree line south of the Institute. At 7:35 p.m. we had a black bear north of Fisherman's Pullout. At 8:00 p.m. we found another grizzly in the rendezvous area. At 8:15 p.m. there was a grizzly north of the Soda Butte middle pullout (just grazing on the hillside).

Thursday - 19 May

Yellowstone Wolves ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

At 5:45 a.m. I started out with a grizzly south of picnic area and a large grizzly south of the Institute. At 5:50 a.m. the grizzly sow with two two year old cubs were near the tree line south of the Institute. Both the large grizzly and the family group were grazing and moved to within 40 yards or so before the sow and cubs noticed the large grizzly and ran into the tree line. At 6:15 a.m. a courting pair of grizzlies were viewed on Specimen Ridge. At 6:20 a.m. we found a black bear north of Fisherman's. At 6:25 a.m. I found a bear in the rendezvous area (guessing a grizzly but not sure) at 7:20 a.m. a black bear grazing in the tree line south of the Institute. At 10:00 a.m. a gray wolf north of picnic area heading back towards the den forest. At 2:15 p.m. there was a small grizzly south of the Soda Butte Cone. At 3:30 p.m. a small cinnamon back bear north of coyote overlook. At 3:35 p.m. we had two small and colorful sub adult grizzlies north of coyote overlook. Spent several hours in the area, visiting the old 4 elk carcass area and then bedding and napping for a long time--good viewing only 600-700 yards away. At 5:15 p.m. there was a large tall grizzly in the high middle clearing south of the Slough Creek bathroom. At 6:00 p.m. there was a black bear on Specimen Ridge. At 6:10 p.m. I spotted a black bear at Elk Creek. At 6:20 p.m. we had a large black bear near Geode Creek. I headed in early for a campsite at Mammoth, but was full. Got a hot meal in Gardiner and then camped outside of Gardiner.

Friday - 20 May

At 5:45 a.m. we had the courting pair of grizzlies south of the Institute. At 5:50 a.m. there was a grizzly in the rendezvous area. At 6:25 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly in Round Prairie. Three coyotes harassed the grizzly, must have a den near, but the large grizzly wasn't affected even when they coyotes would bit his rear legs. At 6:50 a.m. the grizzly with the torn ear was 100 yard south of the Soda Butte Cone. At 7:30 a.m. we spotted a gray wolf north of midpoint At 7:35 a.m. the grizzly sow with two two year olds was up on Ski Slope this morning. At 9:30 a.m. I found one gray Agate wolf south of long pullout on a top clearing they prefer when they go high out of Little America. At 10:30 a.m. the little cinnamon black bear was visible again north of coyote overlook. At 11:05 a.m. we had a large black bear on ski slope. At 11:10 a.m. Jim B from Iowa pulled in to tell me about a gray wolf moving north of coyote overlook - close less than 100 yards (apparently the Lamar Canyon pack had a kill in Slough Creek area this morning). At 11:25 a.m. we had a grizzly north of the picnic area digging. At 12:20 p.m. a we watched a grizzly digging in the second finger of Norris Mountain. At 7:35 p.m. I found a black bear south of midpoint in the tree line. At 8:10 p.m. I spotted a grizzly in the golden meadow above Slough Creek campground. At 8:25 p.m. there was a black bear south in Little America near #9's old den. At 8:35 p.m. we had a black bear at Rainy Lake At 8:45 p.m. there was a black bear at Calcite. Tower Campground opened today so got a campsite for Friday thru Sunday. Note: Norris Campground was to open today, but didn't.

Yellowstone Wolf ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

Saturday - 21 May

At 6:15 a.m. I spotted a courting pair of grizzlies south of the Institute. At 7:00 a.m. there was a grizzly in Crystal Drainage. At 7:50 a.m. the grizzly sow with two two year olds south of midpoint. At 9:30 a.m. we had a black bear in the tree line south of the Institute. I decided to visit Mammoth for a shower and hot meal (the fast food place is open) then decided to run South for the afternoon. At 1:45 p.m. we had a large sleeping grizzly in Sledge Bay (this is east of Fishing Bridge, actually where they close the road because of Sylvan Pass - only been opening for a few hours every day because of the snow and mud slides). At 2:55 p.m. I spotted a grizzly with one cub of the year (COY) in Pelican Creek. At 3:30 p.m. I found a grizzly with two yearlings in Trout Creek in the Hayden Valley. (Note: still no COY's or yearling grizzly or black bear cubs sighted in Lamar yet this spring). At 5:40 p.m. there was a black bear in Elk Creek. At 6:05 p.m. we spotted the cinnamon black bear near #9's old den in Little America. At 6:30 p.m. another courting pair of grizzlies were south of the Institute (pretty sure different from the courting pair south of Fisherman's in the morning-they were heading west towards Crystal). At 6:50 p.m. we had a large grizzly low south of Soda Butte Cone. At 7:00 a.m. I spotted a small black bear low below # 1 finger of Norris Mountain. At 7:55 p.m. I watched a small grizzly south of Slough Creek in the middle meadow.

Sunday - 22 May

At 5:30 a.m. we had the courting pair of grizzlies south of the Institute. At 5:35 a.m. there was a black bear south of midpoint in the tree line. At 6:10 a.m. we had two gray wolves near the confluence (Note: killed a bull elk 100 yards from the road - south of confluence east pullout) (later I missed a small grizzly crossed the road, swam the river, approached the carcass, found two wolves on it, a discussion went on, the grizzly then re-traced his trail back and over the hill). At 7:30 a.m. we had a small grizzly north of coyote overlook. At 7:35 a.m. the grizzly sow with two two year olds were up on Ski Slope again. At 8:15 a.m. we had a grizzly on Specimen Ridge. At 8:45 a.m. we spotted a grizzly west of Crystal Creek. At 9:30 a.m. I found a grizzly low in Lion Meadow (north of the Slough Creek bathroom). At 5:15 p.m. we watched a large cinnamon black bear on a carcass north of the Yellowstone River Bridge. At 7:00 p.m. there was a grizzly in the rendezvous area. At 7:30 p.m. we had a black bear south of midpoint in the tree line. At 8:15 p.m. we watched a grizzly north of trashcan.

Yellowstone Wolves ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

Monday - 23 May

At 5:35 a.m. I found two separate grizzlies in view from above the confluence. One in the eroded area and one further west both south of the road. I hiked up above the road this morning. Five wolves were visible near and around the bull elk carcass from yesterday. At 6:20 a.m. there was a black bear south of midpoint. At 6:25 a.m. the grizzly sow with two two year olds came out of the trees south of midpoint. At 6:30 a.m. I found a large grizzly on the skyline of salad bowl viewed from midpoint. At 7:30 a.m. I found a grizzly coming across the snow way up high/skyline south of the Institute in a meadow we call bear meadow. At 8:45 a.m. the large cinnamon was still on his carcass near the Yellowstone River bridge. At 9:30 a.m. a grizzly sow with two yearlings high west of Swan Lake Flats. At 10:45 a.m. I spotted a grizzly south of Beryl Spring.

Other News:

Steve was south earlier in the week and found a grizzly sow with one COY. She crossed the road, then jumped into the Yellowstone River and swam almost across, realized the COY wanted no part, she swam back, called to him, and it jumped in and was obvious that it wasn't going to make it. The sow came back, touched it, and had it climb on her back, and then she finished crossing the river. All south of LeHardy Rapids. The never ending carcass in the confluence was determined to be a bison (horn now in view). Carol told me of a small grizzly that was swimming in Rainy Lake. Apparently it had also visited the large cinnamon bear at the Yellowstone River Bridge, but the cinnamon bear didn't give the carcass up. I visited Cooke City for a hot meal, they have a Visitor Center and a public bathroom. Nice and new and large. A large mudslide closed Highway 89 from Alpine Junction to Hoback Junction (where the Snake River runs next to it). Frank sent pictures and it looked like .25 of the hillside gave way. I heard that the road just south of Canyon is closed, same area as last year; loose ground gave away, culvert again. All the snow removal equipment is still working on the Beartooths. so I'm pretty sure Dunraven Pass is NOT going to open this weekend. Osprey on the nest at Tower, Nothing on the peregrine nest this year at Calcite. Very few elk calves been seen, no bighorn lambs or pronghorn fawns yet.




Black bear cubs by John William Uhler © Copyright All Rights Reserved
Yellowstone Sunset ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston



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