Thursday - 07 June

I left about 6:00 a.m. and found a blond grizzly in Alum Creek in Hayden Valley about 9:30 a.m. Some grizzly families have been showing up in Hayden Valley this year. A sow with two cubs of the year (coy's) and a sow with two yearlings in addition to the sow with two two year olds (I haven't seen any of them yet this year). At 2:30 p.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one coy in K-2 meadow, far south and west of footbridge pullout. At 5:30 p.m. we had a grizzly sow with one coy south of Slough Creek. At 7:00 p.m. we watched a black bear boar and a cinnamon sow courting in A-Z meadow. At 7:15 p.m. I found a grizzly sow with two coy's in a clearing behind ski slope. At 7:45 p.m. we found a grizzly high in the salad bowl. At 8:50 p.m. we had two separate and large grizzlies in the bowl viewed from east of the Institute. I spent all my nights outside the park near Silver Gate this trip, saving some future nights in campgrounds in the park.

Friday - 08 June

At 5:40 a.m. I started off with a grizzly sow with one coy in K-2 meadow. At 6:10 a.m. I found a grizzly low in the bowl viewed from Mid Point pullout. At 6:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one coy in the middle ridge south of Sough Creek viewed from coyote overlook. At 6:45 a.m. I found a grizzly sow with one yearling north of coyote (I originally thought that they were a courting pair, but not so). It was a new grizzly family I did not see last year, and this was the first time this year. At 7:30 a.m. we had 824F, 686F, and a gray wolf from the Mollies pack on Jasper Bench. At 9:00 a.m. I found a large cinnamon and a smaller black bear together behind Jasper Bench and in front of A-Z meadow. At 8:45 a.m. I spotted a black bear in the big clearing behind Jasper Bench and west of the Institute. At 10:20 a.m. we watched a grizzly sow with two coys on the ridge just behind ski slope (she had moved closer to ski slope since yesterday). At 4:40 p.m. I spotted a black bear in Elk Creek with the usually bear jam. At 8:00 p.m. was my last bear spotting for the day was a grizzly in salad bowl.

Saturday - 09 June

At 5:50 a.m. I started the day with a grizzly in the bowl. At 6:05 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one coy in the middle clearing south of Slough Creek viewed from coyote overlook. At 6:15 a.m. we found a larger lone grizzly near the family group, got them to moving around. At 7:00 a.m. I found a grizzly sow with two coys in the clearing just behind ski slope. At 7:15 a.m. we watched a grizzly sow with one yearling north of coyote overlook. At 7:30 a.m. we had a grizzly high in A-Z meadow. At 7:45 a.m. we had two separate black wolves north and east of coyote overlook (a carcass was later discovered north of coyote, the wolves were heading back to the den area and later the grizzly sow and yearling found it). At 8:00 a.m. we had two separate cinnamon black bears south of fisherman's pullout. At 8:00 a.m. I spotted a black bear south of the Institute in the treeline. At 9:20 a.m. we had a grizzly sow with one coy in K meadow viewed from footbridge pullout. At 5:00 p.m. we watched a gray wolf north and east of coyote overlook, heading back towards the den area.

Sunday - 10 June

At 6:00 a.m. I started the day with a grizzly sow with one coy on Specimen Ridge (this was the family that had been on the middle ridge south of Slough Creek). At 7:00 a.m. I found a grizzly in the bowl viewed from Mid Point. At 7:45 a.m. we had two separate black bears in Crystal Drainage. At 8:00 a.m. we had a black bear with one black and one brown coy low on Specimen Ridge. At 8:30 a.m. we found a grizzly sow with one coy on Specimen Ridge viewed from boulder pullout (this was the original Specimen bear that should be collared and had lost one coy already). At 3:00 p.m. we watched a large slow walking grizzly low on Specimen Ridge heading for the road (yep, Scarface again). He would cross the road, visit Junction Butte and at 4:00 p.m. cross the Yellowstone River Bridge to the delight of all the traffic. Later had a report of a guy getting gas at Tower seeing a grizzly in the clearing out front. At 4:30 p.m. with a earlier viewing by Lauri D, a black bear with two brown coy's low on square meadow viewed from picnic area (first time I have seen that family). At 5:30 p.m. we had two black wolves in the big meadow behind Jasper Bench and west of the Institute. At 6:30 p.m. we enjoyed watching two cinnamon black bears courting in Crystal Drainage. At 8:30 pm. we had a gray wolf crossing the road from north to south at 21's old crossing near hitching post pullout.

Monday - 11 June

At 5:25 a.m. we heard howling to the south of footbridge, and Doug M. from Silver Gate hollered as 776F crossed the footbridge and then the road on her way back to the den area. I heard small howls to the south in the den area, I guessed puppies, but not sure. At 5:45 a.m. we had a large grizzly in K meadow. At 6:10 a.m. the grizzly sow with two coy's was spotted on ski slope. At 6:20 a.m. we found a bedded black wolf (a Mollie) in the big meadow behind Jasper Bench. At 6:20 a.m. we had a cinnamon black bear crossing the big meadow. At 6:45 a.m. we watched a grizzly sow with one coy on the middle ridge south of Slough Creek. At 6:50 a.m. we had a large grizzly north and east of coyote overlook. At 7:40 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one coy on K meadow. At 8:00 a.m. we watcjed a grizzly in K-2 meadow viewed from footbridge pullout. At 9:30 a.m. I found a black bear sow with one black and one brown coy south in Little America near old 9's den. At 2:30 p.m. we had a black bear with two black coys at Rainy Lake (the cubs were up a tree playing while mom grazed on grasses near the road). At 6:00 p.m. I found a black bear with one black coy on the #3 finger of Norris. At 8:30 p.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one yearling north of coyote overlook. At 8:35 p.m. with all the bear spotters at coyote overlook on the east end of the pullout, someone pointed from the west end to a small grizzly at less than 300 yards grazing north of coyote overlook.

Tuesday - 12 June

At 5:20 a.m. we had 11 Mollies' wolves just across the river south of picnic area on a bison carcass (actually not yet on the carcass as the bison herd surrounded the dead bison and wouldn't let the wolves back in on it) - 7 grays and 4 blacks. At 5:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly north of picnic. At 5:40 a.m. we had a grizzly on Norris Mountain viewed from picnic. At 5:55 a.m. I found a grizzly sow with two coys on ski slope. At 6:05 a.m. we watched a grizzly with one coy high on salad bowl (the one that had been on the middle ridge south of Slough Creek for days was moving east). At 7:30 a.m. we watched a uncollared gray wolf at footbridge (probably 776F, as I was in the pullout with only Ron who is working with Jim H. on grizzlies in the northern range--we ran down to view her take the bridge, not wanting to get wet this morning). At 7:40 a.m. I spotted a large brown grizzly in penny lane. At 8:30 a.m. I watched a black bear south and west of coyote overlook. At 8:45 a.m. we had a cinnamon black bear low in salad bowl. At 8:30 p.m. I spotted a small grizzly north of coyote overlook. At 9:00 p.m. we had a large cinnamon black bear in Soda Butte picnic area clearing. I had a three dog day today.

Other News

The Tower Junction to Chittenden Road construction will start on July 5th with road closures 11:00 p.m. thru 7:00 a.m. and 30 minute delays during the day. Camping at Tower will be nice, since you can't leave the campground until 7:00 a.m. The Mollie's pack did kill a coy on the backside of Specimen Ridge (I think the collared grizzly that had already lost one. Rick M. saw the chase from Antelope Creek but the light was terrible and didn't see the kill. The next day a couple of tourists found the body on the backside of Specimen and took pictures. Hon, of the wolf project and bear management found the body the next day, not much left). Both Pebble Creek and Slough Creek campgrounds opened on the 15th for the year. Other animals: I saw the weasel that has been at Soda Butte picnic area, taking unita ground squirrel babies. But one adult wrestled with it and ran it off while Margaret made hot dogs one noon hour. A coyote den with 6-7 pups south of the Institute had been good viewing until the 16th, I think she might have moved them. I had a beaver at the confluence one night. A moose with a fresh calf at lower Barronette. A badger taking the storm drain under the road near the Institute. Lots of kids from mountain goats on Barronette and above Pebble Creek. Most of the elk have moved higher and out of sight now. The owl chicks still in both nests (Mammoth visitor center, and Lamar Canyon east). The two bald eagle chicks are big and dark and still on the nest south of coyote.