Yellowstone National Park 2017 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
29 March through 01 April 2017
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~ March 2017 ~
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Wednesday - 29 March
31 degrees in Gardiner with clear skies, but a high of 48 degrees with rain and snow in the afternoon and poor visibility. The bald eagles are now on the nest south of Coyote Overlook on Jasper Bench. At 7:45 a.m. the Mollies wolf pack made its first appearance in the northern range for 2017. 10 black and 5 gray wolves were seen in the tree line south of Trashcan Pullout. They slowly moved west in and out of sight for 15 minutes then disappeared for a couple hours but reappeared south of Picnic Pullout and moved in the tree line all the way to Ski Slope south of the Institute. At 4:30 p.m. a grizzly was sighted leaving the Blacktail Ponds going north and east. Before I arrived it came and swam in the pond, found two death fish and slowly ate them before deciding to leave when I arrived.
Thursday - 30 March
40 degrees and raining in Gardiner but 34 degrees and rain/snow mix out in the park. The visibility was bad most of the morning. Zero bears and zero wolves for me today. Calvin and Lynette had a un-collared gray visit the old carcass north of Rick's Pullout (the same carcass that was visited a couple of days ago by a grizzly). Also Calvin saw one black wolf and one other person had eight wolves on Specimen for a few seconds until the clouds dropped. I hiked to #9's old den in Little America today with Sian, Phyl, Calvin, Lynette, Kathie L, and a new couple for me John and his wife.
Friday - 31 March
44 degrees in Gardiner and 37 degrees in the park with strong winds all day with a high of 48 degrees. Cara M found two wolves on the Blacktail from the Nature Trail pullout and that was it for wolves today, but no one else got to see them. At 11:55 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with one male yearling cub on the north east corner of Junction Butte. They were digging near the top of the Butte, we watched for over 3 1/2 hours occasionally out of sight for a few minutes in the tree line.
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~ April 2017 ~
Saturday - 01 April
30 degrees and frost at Gardiner and 20 degrees in Lamar Valley this morning, but clear skies all day warming up to 56 degrees. I had my first marmot of year this morning. Four moose in Round Prairie this morning, two pairs of cows with calves. At 9:20 a.m. while at Lamar Canyon West I found a dark grizzly leaving the mixed conifer forest in Slough Creek. A brief sighting as it was almost to Junction Pass before I saw it. From 1:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. the grizzly sow with one yearling was on Junction Butte again on the north east corner of the butte, no farther than 100 yards from yesterday. No wolves for me and most of the wolf watchers today. Someone reported two black wolves south of the Soda Butte Cone moving west, but to my knowledge nobody else saw them.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Kathie L, Rick M, Doug M, Alan and Sue O, Lizzie C, Ron and Linda and Ilona P. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette J. From the UK: Sian and Phyl J, and Alan and Kirsty P. From Colorado: Steve and Robin M. From Missouri: Don and Carol L. Bear Watchers: Doug M. Others: From Montana: Cliff B, Bob L, Evan S, Cara M, Tonya M. and Emil. From Wyoming: Ted. Another finally from Utah: Bob B.
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Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
| Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 2016 | 2011 |
| 2020 | 2015 | 2010 |
| 2019 | 2014 | 2009 |
| 2018 | 2013 | 2008 |
| 2017 | 2012 | 2007 |
| Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | |
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| 1995 | 2000 |
| 1996 | 2002 |
| 1997 | 2003 |
| 1998 | 2004 |
| 1999 | 2005 |
| Yellowstone Geyser and Thermal Videos | |
|---|---|
| Beehive Geyser Eruption | Old Faithful with Bison |
| Beehive Geyser Eruption Two | Pocket Basin |
| Fan and Mortar | Roaring Mountain |
| Grand Geyser | Rocket and Grotto |
| Old Faithful One | West Thumb |
| Yellowstone Waterfall Videos | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cave Falls | Mesa Falls | Undine Falls |
| Gibbon Falls | Rustic Falls | Upper Falls |
| Lower Falls | Tower Fall | Wraith Falls |
| Yellowstone National Park WebCams | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Old Faithful Live | All Old Faithful | Old Faithful Static | Old Faithful VC | North Entrance | Mt Washburn | Mammoth | YVO WebCam |
| Entrance Cities and Gateway Towns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Gardiner, Montana | Silver Gate, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana | Cooke City, Montana |
| Livingston, Montana | Cody, Wyoming | Jackson Hole, Wyoming | Yellowstone National Park |
| Links | |
|---|---|
| The Great Outdoors Net | Great Outdoor Recreational Places |
| Gardiner, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana |
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