Yellowstone National Park 2015 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

11 through 14 May 2015

~ May 2015 ~

Monday - 11 May

19 degrees this morning warming up to the low 60's. I hiked Geode Creek for two and one half hours today with John G, John B, and Randi. The great horned owls are again nesting in Mammoth, one building east of the Visitor Center. I stopped tonight and saw two large owlets in the nest. At 6:15 a.m. wolves known as mottled, twin, 965M and 926F were on the bison calf carcass they worked so hard to get yesterday. The cow bison drove them off for a while this morning, but then gave up as the calf was dead. Wolf 926F got to the carcass first and did not share with the three males. At 6:20 a.m. I found a large grizzly moving east on the Amethyst Bench viewed from Trash Can Pullout. At 7:05 a.m. I found a brown black bear south and west of the confluence in the tree line. At 7:30 a.m. we had a dark grizzly in the Salad Bowl viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 8:00 a.m. we watched two equal sized black bears in the Crystal Drainage. They played and wrestled for a time. Not sure but probably two large yearling cubs just cast out recently. At 9:00 a.m. wolf 890M, the beta male of the Junction Butte pack was bedded north and east of Boulder Pullout. At 2:20 p.m. a grizzly with a very blond two year old cub north of Coyote Overlook spotted by Jeri and Dean D. At 3:00 p.m. we had a brown black bear in the tree line south of the Institute. At 5:00 p.m. I found a dark grizzly north of Coyote Overlook spotted by John B viewed from Lamar Canyon East. At 5:30 p.m. we had the black sow with the two black yearling cubs near #9's old den south of the road in Little America viewed from Long Pullout. At 5:35 p.m. we watched a large cinnamon black bear fairly close to the black bear family. Previously Ralph N had them very close together as the mom put the cubs up the tree and lead the cinnamon boar away.

Tuesday - 12 May

37 degrees and raining this morning warming up to 57 degrees. At 6:50 a.m. a small grizzly came to the bison carcass at Bob's Knob at Slough Creek (first large predator on it - it was not opened up yet). At 7:25 a.m. I spotted a black bear in the rendezvous area viewed from Picnic Pullout. At about 8:00 a.m. the same grizzly that was on the bison carcass at Slough was 60 yards off the road south and west of Fisherman's Pullout - it found a dead bison calf. Later the same grizzly returned back to the bison carcass at Slough Creek. At 8:40 a.m. wolf 890M was moving north thru the Lion Meadow away from the bison carcass area. He actually never got to the carcass, getting about 250 yards from it before looking over the 50 plus cars near Bob's Knob. I made it a short day and did my laundry in the early afternoon. In the evening I went to Swan Flats and found a large grizzly moving to the west, before the entire area fogged in with low clouds.

Wednesday - 13 May

40 degrees this morning warming up to 62 degrees. At 5:40 a.m. I spotted a small grizzly on the carcass at Bob's Knob in Slough Creek (same grizzly as yesterday). At 5:55 a.m. I found a dark grizzly north of Coyote Overlook. At 6:10 a.m. I spotted a dark grizzly on Specimen Ridge viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 6:35 a.m. we had two sub adult grizzlies on Square Meadow viewed from the Institute. At 7:10 a.m. we watched a small grizzly just east of K Meadow in a small clearing. At 7:15 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly on Cal-Fee Clearing which is far south and behind the lower slopes of Norris viewed from the Confluence. At 7:30 a.m. Scarfacewas just north of the road at 21's crossing near the Hitching Post viewed from the Confluence. At 7:55 a.m. we watched a courting pair of grizzlies on the third finger of Norris viewed from the Confluence and then closer at the dirt pullout just east of the Soda Butte Cone. At 10:00 a.m. I spotted a black bear below A-Z Meadow viewed from Coyote Overlook. Dean and Jeri D cooked hot dogs today at Pebble Creek Campground. After lunch John G, John B, Randi, Ed A and I staked out the pullout just east of Soda Butte East (they had seen a grizzly sow with two cubs of the year (coy's) yesterday high in the snow and south of the road). At 3:00 p.m. we spotted a large grizzly on the second finger of Norris. At 3:30 p.m. Scarface showed up on the third finger of Norris, then disappeared and reappeared again on the third finger of Norris. After over three hours of watching John G found the sow with two coy's. Ed A and I were down the road a ways and John G rushed down to tell us they were in sight and could not be seen from where we were. They were almost to the sky line in lots of bare rocks and snow. Good viewing when on the snow, not so good when they were on the rocks. John G and Randi had seen them twice before, but this was my first view of grizzly coy's this year.

Thursday - 14 May

My last day in the motel in Gardiner, from now on car camping. 36 degrees warming up to 61 degrees today. I hiked up the Barronette Ski Trail for about three hours today with John G, John B, and Randi. We had a pair of harlequin ducks on the Soda Butte Creek on our way up today. At 5:50 a.m. I spotted a dark grizzly south of Fisherman's Pullout moving south. At 6:10 a.m. the two sub adult grizzlies in the clearing just east of Square Meadow. At 7:00 a.m. I found a dark grizzly under the snow line on Ski Slope. At 7:10 a.m. I spotted a light colored grizzly on the Middle Ridge above and west of the Salad Bowl viewed from Dorothy's Pullout. At 10:00 a.m. we had a small colorful grizzly north of Footbridge Pullout. At 3:30 p.m. I found a large grizzly on K Meadow viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 3:50 p.m. we watched a grizzly high and east of Penny Lane viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 4:00 p.m. we watched a large colorful grizzly in the tree line south and west and also across the Lamar River viewed from Footbridge Pullout. And at 4:40 p.m. my last sighting for the day was Scarface as he came off the Cache Creek Trail down into the flats heading for the Lamar River Corridor.

Other News

The road construction in Gardiner is a mess, plus its worst now because we have been getting quite a bit of rain. Mud on the main Park Street road and now on Main Street as well. The road construction for seven miles north of Norris is also a mess. Worst with delays and one way traffic Monday thru Friday. They have the west end of the one way Blacktail Road closed, they have a bear trap back there now. My report is a little less detailed this time, a lot of grizzly sightings by friends of mine including Ralph N, John G, John B, Randi, Dean and Jeri D, Jeff and Terri, Ed A and others.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Colorado: Anne W, and Mark and Carol R. From Montana: Rick M and Doug M. From California: Kathie L, Joe M, and Bob and Nell. From Utah: Richard B, Jerry, and Pam and Denny. From Oklahoma: Paul, and Robert and Pam. From Idaho: Warren and Natalie, and Rich E. From Iowa: Jim and Joellyn B. Bear Watchers: From Washington: John G, John B, and Randi. From Utah: Dean and Jeri D. From Indiana: Jeff and Terri. From Ohio: Jim and Tywla E. From Montana: Lee H, Chuck and Debbie, Ralph N, and Doug M. From Illinois: Chicago Bob and Margaret. Others: From Montana: Cliff B, Dan and Cindy H, George B and Deby D. From Ireland: Alwyn S. From Idaho: Ray T. From Pennsylvania: Ray R. Glacier People: Steve and Charotte H, Virgil and Walt, and Ron from Kentucky and From Utah: Bob B.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park