Yellowstone National Park 2016 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
06 through 09 May 2016
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~ May 2016 ~
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Friday - May 6th
49 degrees in Gardiner but 36 degrees in Lamar Valley warming up to 62 degrees but smoky from the Canadian fire and windy in the p.m. At 6:10 a.m. I spotted a light grizzly south of Soda Butte Cone. At 6:25 a.m. I found a large cinnamon black bear above the grizzly by about 100 yards. At 6:45 a.m. 965M of the Lamar Canyon wolf pack was north of the eastern curve pullout east of Footbridge Pullout. This was the first time I have seen him since last fall and with mange he looked terrible. At 7:10 a.m. we had a large dark grizzly in the Willows south and west of Footbridge Pullout. At 7:55 a.m. we watched a grizzly north of Coyote Overlook going uphill and out of sight. At 8:15 a.m. I found a black bear in the clearing below A-Z Meadow. At 8:30 a.m. we had a black wolf high north of Coyote Overlook. Ralph was further west and got a better view and it appeared to be a Lamar Canyon wolf. At 10:35 a.m. a black wolf carrying some type of meat towards Amethyst Drainage from the west. At 2:45 p.m. we had a black bear in Crystal Drainage. I checked out the Great Horned Owl nest in Mammoth today. Dad was in a conifer tree across from the nest tree and mom had at least one chick.
Saturday - May 7th
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49 degrees in Gardiner but 46 degrees in Lamar Valley this morning warming up to a nice p.m. of 64 degrees. At 6:15 a.m. I spotted a grizzly above the diagonal forest in Slough Creek. At 6:20 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly crossing the skyline south and west in Crystal Drainage. At 6:30 a.m. I found a grizzly digging north of Picnic Area. At 6:35 a.m. we had a medium sized grizzly south and west of the fan near the tree line viewed from Picnic Pullout. At 6:40 a.m. another grizzly this one a dark grizzly moving west in the sagebrush south of Picnic Pullout. At 7:00 a.m. Ralph N found a grizzly in Penny Lane viewed from the confluence. At 7:45 a.m. a grizzly high in Bear Meadow viewed from Midpoint Pullout spotted by Doug M (bear watcher), this was the best spot of the day. At 9:30 a.m. Ralph N found the grizzly sow with three cubs of the year (COY's) on Specimen Ridge. They soon went out of sight but Ralph directed me to Lamar Canyon West and they were in sight for well over an hour. At 2:30 p.m. Tywla E found a black wolf across the river viewed from Dorothy's Pullout. It was eyeing the new bison carcass near Dorothy's that died in calving. At 3:00 p.m. we had a brown grizzly in the willows south and west of Hitching Post. It had been there since yesterday, but was out of sight every time I looked that way until 3:00 p.m. I did have a THREE DOG DAY today. At 3:25 p.m. Randi M found a small blond grizzly in K Meadow near Jennings Rock viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 3:45 p.m. the blond grizzly was south and west of Hubbard Hill moving on to the Amethyst Bench. At 3:55 p.m. John G found another blond grizzly south and east of Hubbard Hill in the tree line. At 4:55 p.m. we had a bedded gray wolf near the Junction Butte's Slough Creek den. At 5:15 p.m. Randi M found a black bear high in the Aspen Drainage in Slough Creek. My best grizzly day with 15 grizzlies today.
Sunday - May 8th
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46 degrees in Gardiner but 33 degrees in Lamar Valley on a clear day warming up to a nice 73 degrees. At 6:00 a.m. I found a black wolf south of Hubbard Hill viewed from Coyote Overlook, it turned out to be a Mollie's wolf. At 6:15 a.m. John G found a black wolf north of Coyote Overlook, another Mollie wolf. At 8:20 a.m. I spotted a grizzly digging in Calfee which is behind Norris and Cache Creek trail viewed from the Confluence. At 9:20 a.m. we had a black bear on the eastern side of Square Meadow. At 11:45 a.m. John G found a grizzly with one yearling cub high on Thunderer viewed from Pebble Creek restroom. They fed for over 45 minutes then moved on to a snow bank. The yearling bounced around and ran circles around mom for 15 minutes. A lady I had met last year told me that when they were hiking Trout Lake they observed a grizzly high south of the road on the fingers. During a slow moment watching the sow and yearling I spotted her grizzly on #2 finger of Norris. I had never spotted a grizzly from Pebble on the fingers until today. At 2:00 p.m. I found a grizzly digging on the skyline of the bowl viewed from Midpoint. Doug M (bear watcher) was hiking far above the grizzly and called to ask if I had found it. Later he called back to tell me the grizzly had viewed his group and ran down towards A-Z Meadow. At 5:45 p.m. Randi M and John G found the sow grizzly with three COY's still on Specimen Ridge but lower in the trees. We had searched most of the day for them, but after John and Randi left I got a good look at them and the sow nursed the three COY'S. At 6:30 p.m. there was a grizzly sleeping on a new bison carcass at Blacktail Ponds. Apparently it dug up the carcass that was buried in mud near the pond.
Monday - May 9th
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51 degrees in Gardiner and 37 degrees in Lamar Valley this morning warming up to 59 degrees but the wind came in the afternoon dropping the temperatures. They are forecasting snow for tomorrow. I did have a cow and a yearling calf moose in the willows at confluence this morning. At 5:55 a.m. Ralph N found a collared grizzly south of YES Pullout. It moved onto Amethyst Bench and then out of sight. At 6:00 a.m. Ralph found four black and one gray Mollie wolves south of the Institute hunting bison calves. It is now guessed that a part of the Mollie's pack may have denned near Amethyst Creek in Lamar Valley. A few, up to seven. seem to be seen every day in Lamar Valley. At 6:20 a.m. John G found our first grizzly courting pair of the year on the sky line above Bear Meadow. The sow was leading him back and forth over the sky line so she must not be quite ready yet. At 7:10 a.m. we had a large grizzly below K Meadow near the tree line. This was a really large grizzly and spotted by Ralph N. At 7:45 a.m. the grizzly sow with one yearling were again on Thunderer viewed from the Thunderer Pullout. At 8:20 a.m. a dark grizzly spotted by Ralph N on K Meadow. Later it was in view from Trash can before going over the hill. At 8:20 a.m. the grizzly sow with three COY'S was spotted again on Specimen Ridge viewed first from Coyote Overlook but better at Lamar Canyon West and Slough Creek restroom. At 9:10 a.m. Little T of the Lamar Canyon wolf pack crossed the road and came to the bison carcass near Dorothy's Knoll. At 9:55 a.m. a grizzly digging on Calfee viewed from the Confluence spotted by Ralph N. At 12:00 noon we had another black wolf bedded on the east end of Jasper Bench. At 12:10 p.m. John G spotted a large grizzly crossing Bear Meadow going south viewed from Dorothy's Knoll. At 12:40 p.m. we spotted a wolf leaving the bison carcass area going south. The wolf people thought this wolf may be a lone wolf as it did not appear to be either a Mollie or a Lamar Canyon wolf. I hiked to Calcite Springs today with John G, Randi M, and John B. The road opens this Friday so its probably our last time to hike it. We found the black bear sow with two brown yearlings at Rainy Lake, then the black bear sow with two black COY's near Calcite Springs. At 6:10 p.m. my last sighting for this report was the grizzly still on his carcass at Blacktail Ponds.
People Seen
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Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Dan and Laurie L, Deby D, Kathie L, and Amy T. From California: Bob and Nell H. From Oklahoma: Robert and Pam. From Utah: Jerry C. and Julia, and Chris C. From Colorado: Anne W. and Ric and Kathy T. From Vermont: Don P. From Illinois: Ryan and Anna A. Bear Watchers: From Montana: Ralph N and Doug M. From Ohio: Jim and Twyla E. From Washington: John G, Randi M, John B, and Hank L and his friend Debbie. From Utah: Luke and Maleea M. and Dean and Jeri D. From Colorado: Ed A and his son and daughter in-law. From Missouri: Fred and Linda. From Oklahoma: Paul S. Others: From Montana: Cliff B, Ken T, Bob L, and Pete B From Texas: Carol S and Carl L. From Vermont: John K. Ed from bear jams, From Louisiana: Bruce. From Arizona: David and Phyllis. And from Utah: Bob B.
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Buffalo Youngsters Playing - April 16th, 2016 - Lamar Valley
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Can you see the four Antelope?
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Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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