Yellowstone National Park 2018 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
26 through 29 April 2018 - Yellowstone National Park
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~ April 2018 ~
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Thursday - April 26th
37 degrees in Gardiner but 27 degrees in Lamar Valley this morning warming up to 56 degrees. I had a golden eagle this morning in Lamar Valley. At 6:30 a.m. the large grizzly was on the bison carcass south of Fisherman's best viewed from east of Dorothy's Pullout. At 6:40 a.m. we had a grizzly traveling but often stopping to graze a little north of Fisherman's Pullout in what is called Secret Passage. At 9:45 a.m. John G found a black wolf harassing a bison near the mixed conifer aspen forest in Slough Creek. At 10:00 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow with the two and one half year old cub south and east of Slough Creek above the river corridor. At 10:05 a.m. four black wolves and one gray wolf of the Junction Butte pack near the den at Slough Creek (996M, 1047M, and 907F were there). At 12:30 p.m. the grizzly sow with the two and one half year old cub moved east and we watched them from Coyote Overlook in Lamar Valley. At 1:50 p.m. John G and I found a black wolf going out towards the Cache Creek trail on Norris, I viewed it from the Confluence, while John was watching from Footbridge - probably one of the Lamar Canyon pack.
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Friday - April 27th
38 degrees in Gardiner this morning but 27 degrees at Slough Creek this morning warming up to a very warm 72 degrees. I started the morning with an unusual sighting - six pelicans. Pelicans are common on the Yellowstone River in the south of the park, but rarely seen in the north. I also had a muskrat in Boulder Pond (the second time I have seen it there). I had a prairie falcon flying in Lamar this morning. I hiked up to Calcite near Tower Store this morning and located the peregrine falcon nest near Calcite with one orange egg. At 6:15 a.m. the large grizzly was on the bison carcass south of Fisherman's Pullout viewed from east of Dorothy's Pullout. At 9:10 a.m. while sitting at Footbridge Pullout we heard howling north of the Pullout. Soon John G found two uncollared wolves (assume Small Dot and Little T of the Lamar Canyon Pack) north of the road. At 11:15 a.m. the grizzly sow with the two and one half year old cub south and west of Fisherman's Pullout. At 1:00 p.m. we had a small collared cinnamon black bear on the road near Calcite near Tower. Apparently two three year old cinnamon black bears were collared last year for research. At 2:00 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a small black bear on the road also near Calcite Springs.
Saturday - April 28th
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46 degrees at Gardiner this morning but 30 degrees at Slough Creek this morning warming up to 55 degrees. Two trumpeter swans were at Slough Creek this morning. At Round Prairie near Pebble Creek Campground were had four moose in the willows. One larger bull and the family group of cow with two large bull calves. At 6:20 a.m. I walked down to Bob's Knob at Slough Creek with John G and Randi M hoping to find a grizzly on the Junction Butte wolves’ bison yearling kill from yesterday. No luck, but both 969F and 907F were on the carcass and the uncollared black female was standing outside the sage den (the fourth female 1109F has been away for a week or more, but seen a day or two ago near the old bison carcass north of Boulder Pullout). Often 1048M is also missing at times, assumed he may join 1109F. At 6:35 a.m. the large grizzly was on the bison carcass south of Fisherman's Pullout viewed from east of Dorothy's Pullout. At 9:00 a.m. one collared and one uncollared Junction Butte male wolves were seen north of Coyote Overlook trying to get a fresh bison calf from its mother. The mother defended well and moved towards the road as the wolves retreated. At 10:00 a.m. the grizzly sow with the two and one half year old cub was still south and west of Fisherman's Pullout digging. At 1:45 p.m. I found a grizzly with at least one cub of the year on Thunderer viewed from the Pebble Creek parking lot. I had a good view of them but have a feeling there may be more than one cub of the year.
Sunday - April 29th
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50 degrees in Gardiner this morning but 43 degrees with a brisk wind at Slough Creek this morning warming up to a chilly 49 degrees. I had a vulture fly over the bison carcass south of Fisherman's this morning. A cow and calf moose going above the Pebble Creek Campground this morning. At 6:30 a.m. the large grizzly was on the bison carcass south of Fisherman's viewed from east of Dorothy's Pullout (I think the carcass is finally all gone). At 7:45 a.m. John G found the four Junction Butte male wolves behind the Institute this morning. They moved west and one later crossed the road to the south near Fisherman's. At 10:30 a.m. the grizzly sow and the two and one half year old cub were found south of Fisherman's Pullout. The black wolf that crossed the road earlier decided to visit the grizzly family. The sow and cub charged, and then retreated as the wolf followed them. The wolf moved on and the grizzly family bedded for a long time on a large boulder. At 4:15 p.m. John G found a smaller grizzly digging on Ski Slope viewed from the Institute.
It remains very slow for grizzly sightings this year. As I have reported we have been seeing four to six grizzlies a day, the high was eight. As an example Randi checked her notes and last year on April 30th we watcher seventeen grizzlies.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, and Doug M. From Indiana: Jeff and Terri B. From Wyoming: Larry and Linda H. From the Netherlands: Jort V. From Colorado: Rick and Len H, From Florida: Rick and Vicky K. From California: Bob and Nell H, and Joe M. From Minnesota: Scott W. From Iowa: Jim and Joellen B. and From Utah: CD. Bear Watchers: From Washington: John G and Randi M. From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Colorado: Ed A. From Montana: Mike and Kathy W. Doug M and Jack G. From Ohio: Jim and Tywla E. From Utah: Mark and Liz H. From Idaho: Blake M, Keaton S, and Jon and Karen E. From Missouri: Fred and Linda. Others seen this report. From Montana: MacNeil L, Evan S, Nathan V, Leo L, Bob L, Cara M, Cliff B and Dan and Cindy H. And lastly from Utah: Bob B.
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Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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| Yellowstone Geyser and Thermal Videos | |
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