Yellowstone National Park 2017 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
16 through 19 May 2017
~ May 2017 ~
Tuesday - May 16th
I am camping near Silver Gate Montana this trip, so I am very limited on WIFI, so my reports will be a little more brief.
29 degrees this morning warming up to a high of 55 degrees. At 5:30 a.m. Ralph N found a small grizzly digging in the big meadow behind the eastern end of Jasper Bench that we viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 6:00 a.m. John G found a courting pair of grizzlies high north of Coyote Overlook. At 6:10 a.m. Randi M found a small grizzly in a strip clearing that runs to the east of A-Z Meadow. At 6:40 a.m. Ralph N found a courting pair of grizzlies on the side of Norris viewed from the Confluence. At 7:20 a.m. Richard and Rita R found a small colorful grizzly on Square Meadow. At 7:50 a.m. wolves 964M and a female while she was nursing a minimum of four pups at the Sage Den at Slough Creek. At 8:15 a.m. I found a courting pair of grizzlies high north of Slough Creek/Fisherman's Pullout viewed from Little America. At 8:30 a.m. Dean D found the small blond two year old grizzly, recently thrown out by the sow, near two big bison and a small herd of elk above Coyote Overlook viewed from Little America. Soon four black wolves were discovered near the small grizzly. The grizzly followed the wolves for a while chasing the limping black wolf, I think just trying to have someone to follow around. The wolves were later seen from Lamar Valley north of Coyote Overlook. At 11:00 a.m. we watched a black bear sow and two black yearling cubs on the # 3 finger of Norris. At 11:15 a.m. the wounded black Mollies wolf was found above the Moosehead from Footbridge Pullout. It was moving quite well this morning and later crossed the road heading south. At 11:50 a.m. Randi had a courting pair of grizzlies on Penny Lane (may have been the courting pair earlier on Norris). At 8:15 p.m. we had a large brown grizzly north of Soda Butte east. Josh S later saw him cross the road to the south near Trout Lake. At 8:30 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a brown black bear in a low clearing viewed from Thunderer.
Wednesday - May 17th
37 degrees this morning with rain and snow all day. Low visibility warming up to only 37 degrees. At 7:05 a.m. the grizzly sow and yearling cub were close to the road southeast of the Slough Creek restroom. They were out most of the day crossing early to the Slough Bowl and latter re-crossing back to the south. At 3:00 p.m. two gray adults and three pups were seen out at the Sage Den in Slough Creek. At 5:45 p.m. a brief sighting in a snowstorm we had a grizzly south of the old road between the Institute and Dorothy's Knoll.
Thursday - May 18th
28 degrees this morning warming up to 50 degrees with afternoon winds. We have had a lone Trumpeter Swam in Lamar Valley and Slough Creek the last couple of weeks. It made a fly by this morning near Picnic. I saw my first badger of the year near Midpoint this afternoon. At 6:30 a.m. the grizzly sow and yearling were right off the road near the Lamar River Bridge. They were close for a while then went under the bridge to the north. At 6:45 a.m. the female gray wolf was seen nursing five pups at the Sage Den in Slough Creek. At 7:40 a.m. we had a courting pair of grizzlies west of Amethyst Drainage just behind Jasper Bench moving west and quickly out of sight. At 10:00 a.m. we watched a black bear grazing in Crystal Drainage from the Slough Creek restroom. At 10:20 a.m. Richard and Rita R found a courting pair of grizzlies high on Prospect Peak from Little America. A long spot but good viewing since they were in the snow. At 11:00 a.m. the blond grizzly near the river south of Picnic. Later it was seen near the tree line south of Hubbard Hill and in the evening on Amethyst Bench. At 11:15 a.m. I spotted a black bear in the tree line southeast of Trashcan. At 11:20 a.m. Pam W found a grizzly on Norris from Footbridge. It went out of sight but was seen again for quite a while from Trashcan. At 12:15 p.m. a black bear sow with two yearlings were on # 5 finger of Norris. At 2:20 p.m. a courting pair of grizzlies were on the skyline in the Bowl viewed from Midpoint Pullout. Soon a third grizzly was seen downhill from the courting pair maybe 80 yards. We watched them for almost two hours and guessed they were two sows and one boar. The boar ended up between the two sows, visiting one then the other. Friendly touching noses but no mating. Once or twice one sow would chase the other for a short time, then resume her position on one side of the boar. Near dusk they moved down to the big meadow above Jasper Bench. At 2:40 p.m. we had a black bear in the tree line south and east of Midpoint. At 2:50 p.m. a nice sized brown grizzly was out in the old Druid Rendezvous area. At 5:55 p.m. we had a mating pair of grizzlies high on the Slough Bowl viewed from Long Pullout. I had to wait until they separated to make sure they were grizzlies. At 7:20 p.m. I spotted a nice sized grizzly moving north on the west end of Jasper Bench. At 8:10 p.m. Josh S showed me a large grizzly with a Yellowstone stripe. At 8:15 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a large grizzly south of the Soda Butte Cone.
Friday - May 19th
28 degrees this morning warming up to a windy 58 degrees. The Trumpeter Swan flew by again this morning. At 5:30 a.m. I found a tall grizzly below Amethyst Bench. At 5:35 a.m. we had two smaller grizzlies on Amethyst Bench. Soon the large tall grizzly climbed the bench and joined the two - it was the two sows and one boar again. Later one sow did move away and near dark the now courting pair were in the old Druid Rendezvous area. At 7:15 a.m. we watched a large grizzly on Norris heading to the east. At 8:15 a.m. the grizzly sow and yearling were back again close to the road east of the Lamar River Bridge. Later they crossed the bridge and great viewing at 230 yards from Lamar Canyon West across the river. At 9:00 a.m. we had a courting pair of grizzlies high north of Slough Creek, good viewing for a long spot but they were in the snow. At 2:35 p.m. we watched a black sow with two brown cubs of the year east of Yellowstone Picnic - the cubs were sleeping in a tree. At 6:45 p.m. I found a large black bear digging in the tree line south and east of Trash Can. The now courting pair (one sow left) were in the old Druid Rendezvous area. At 7:40 p.m. I spotted a brown grizzly near the new growth forest south and west of Footbridge Pullout.
People Seen
Lots of People I know were seen this report, but typing this report at 48 degrees at the Chamber in Cooke City, I won't list them.
Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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