Yellowstone National Park 2016 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
18 through 23 June 2016
~ June 2016 ~
Saturday - June 18th
38 degrees at Pebble Creek Campground warming up to a windy 80 degrees. At 6:40 a.m. we had the grizzly with the two coy's was on the Divide Ridge viewed from the Slough Creek restroom. At 7:30 a.m. I found the grizzly with the two coy's moved thru the Salad Bowl viewed from Coyote Overlook. Also at 7:30 a.m. we had one black and one gray adult wolf and two black and two gray puppies near the den in Slough Creek. At 11:00 a.m. a gray yearling with a limp was traveling west near the Marge Simpson Tree viewed from Bob's Knob. At 7:45 a.m. I spotted a courting pair of grizzlies no the skyline west of A-Z Meadow. At 7:10 p.m. the grizzly with the two cubs of the year (coy's) was in A-Z Meadow viewed from Coyote Overlook.
Sunday - June 19th
47 degrees in Pebble Creek Campground this morning warming up to a windy 73 degrees. At 6:40 a.m. the grizzly with the two coy's was in the bowl for over two hours viewed from the Institute. At 7:40 a.m. a courting pair of grizzlies in the Salad Bowl viewed from the Institute (I have to thank the wolf watcher Doug M for calling that out, they had been in view from Slough Creek on the Divide Ridge, and called just as they came over the ridge). At 5:40 p.m. the gray yearling wolf with a limp was with four black and two gray puppies on the move to the Diagonal Forest from the den area. From 8:15 p.m. thru 9:30 p.m. little T, 926F, and 965M of the Lamar Canyon wolf pack bedded south of the Soda Butte Cone. Originally viewed from Footbridge Pullout, but as it got darker, we found them from the Cone.
Monday - June 20th
38 degrees this morning at Pebble Creek Campground warming up to a hot 87 degrees. At 5:15 a.m. I spotted a small grizzly high in the bowl viewed from the Institute. At 5:25 a.m. I found a courting pair of grizzlies lower in the bowl viewed from the Institute. At 5:40 a.m. I spotted the grizzly sow with two coy's high south of Bear Meadow (she actually went over the top, I later moved to Antelope Creek to try and relocate them but with no luck). I saw my first bighorn sheep lamb this morning right off the road near Calcite Springs. At 6:30 a.m. we had a black wolf near Junction Butte den at Slough Creek. From 6:00 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. three gray and two black puppies along with one gray adult wolf was in the den area. News today, 399 the regular sow grizzly that stays near the roads in Grand Teton National Park had her only coy hit by a car last evening near Pilgrim Creek.
Tuesday - June 21st
44 degrees this morning warming up to a hot 83 degrees. I saw a blue heron in the small creek at Trout Creek in Hayden Valley. I got skunked today in Lamar Valley. At 8:30 a.m. thanks to a call from MacNeil L, I got to see the grizzly sow with one yearling from Teton Overlook (named Raspberry and Snow) approximately ten miles east of Fishing Bridge. They were digging about 80 yards from the road for over 20 minutes, then proceeded to a tree line and play wrestled from another 10 minutes. At 5:20 p.m. we watched the grizzly sow with two coy's high west of A-Z on the sky line. At 6:00 p.m. we had a grizzly in the first clearing south of Ski Slope digging for over an hour. At 7:00 p.m. we had a black pup near the Slough Creek den. At 8:15 p.m. my last sighting for the day was the grizzly sow with one coy high north of the Institute.
Wednesday - June 22nd
38 degrees this morning warming to a warm 83 degrees but with a nice breeze. The blue heron was back at Trout Creek in the Hayden Valley this morning. Only four eared grebes and a lot of coots and their red headed chicks for animals in Floating Island Lake today. At 5:55 a.m. I found a grizzly grazing in the tree line south of Picnic Pullout. This grizzly was seen again at 8:50 p.m. still in the tree line but viewed south and west of the Confluence. This was the only grizzly in almost a month that was seen near the tree line. I think the thousands of bison in the valley have moved the grizzlies to higher ground. The grizzly with the two coy's was digging on the top of A-Z Meadow this morning at 6:20 a.m. They were out again tonight in the Bowl viewed from the Institute. At 7:20 a.m. two black pups of the Junction Butte wolf pack were near the den at Slough Creek. From 5:00 p.m. thru 7:00 p.m. two black and two gray wolf pups were in view at the Slough Creek den.
Thursday - June 23rd
37 degrees this morning. With the increasing amount of tourists and bison near the roads and a deceasing amount of grizzlies to watch, I made this my last day probably until late September. At 5:10 a.m. I spotted a small colorful grizzly digging high in the bowl viewed from the Institute. This grizzly was probably the blond grizzly that we had been seeing in Lamar for weeks. I headed east for one last look, but found nothing. I stopped back at the Institute and Tony W and his wife from Missouri told me that the grizzly sow with two coy's came up into view also in the bowl. The small light grizzly was still in the bowl and the family were digging right below him. First chance to see the light grizzly with another grizzly to get a look at its size, quite a bit smaller than the grizzly sow.
People Seen
Bear Watchers seen this report June 11th thru June 23rd. From Wyoming: Richard and Rita R. From Utah: Luke and Maleea, Brent and Jordan, Larry M, and Gayle and Brett. From Idaho: Frank and Lou B, and John and Karen E. From Montana: Doug M, Sara W and family, and Jim H. From New Mexico: Bob. From Alabama: Tom D and his wife. From Wisconsin: Tyler, and Don L. From Missouri: Don and Carol L and their grandson. From Illinois: Wayne and Maryann K, and Bill W.
Others seen this report June 11th thru June 23rd. From Montana: Bob L, John K, Cliff B, Linda T, Nathan V, Emil, MacNeil L, Pete B, Evan, and Ken S. From Wyoming: Dick P. From Arizona: David and Phyllis. And from Pennsylvania: Ray and Darlene R.
Buffalo Youngsters Playing - April 16th, 2016 - Lamar Valley
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Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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