Yellowstone National Park 2014 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
01 through 07 October 2014
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~ October 2014 ~
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Wednesday - 01 October
Wednesday October 1st. A high of 46 degrees in the park today. Lots of road construction on the way and around Yellowstone this time of year. The construction on Ashton Hill is nearing completion and they have started to pave the road. The Norris to Mammoth first seven miles is a mess in the first of two year project from Norris Campground north for seven miles. The park also paved the road from Gardiner up to Mammoth (got caught in that one several times). Tree work over by Tower Campground, Bridge work at the High Bridge east of Mammoth, and more work near the Indian Creek Campground as they have begun to build a new bridge on the main road near Sheep Eater Cliffs . I only found a coyote in the park today so heard that Yankee Jim Canyon had a few bears so spent the evening out there (road construction in Gardiner near the Sinclair Gas Station and about seven miles north of Gardiner towards Livingston). At 5:40 p.m. a brown grizzly in Tom Miner Basin. At 7:05 p.m. a large dark grizzly in Tom Miner Basin. I spent the night in Tom Miner Basin campground called Canyon (only $7.00 a night, $3.50 for old people like me).
Thursday - 02 October
Thursday October 2nd. 37 degrees this morning warming up to 54 degrees today. Lots of white tailed deer and a few coyotes in Tom Miner Basin this morning. At 6:50 a.m. a large brown grizzly in Tom Miner Basin. At 10:30 a.m. two black and one gray pups of the Junction Butte pack in Slough Creek. At 6:30 p.m. in addition to the three from the morning I had four more gray wolves and 890M the black alpha male in Slough Creek.
Friday - 03 October
Friday October 3rd. 24 degrees this morning warming up to 56 degrees. Two foxes in Round Prairie this morning and a nice looking fox near Calcite Springs. I got to shake hands with the Superintendent of the Park, Mr. Daniel Wenk today. At 7:00 a.m. a grizzly south of the Institute digging on the bench. At 8:00 a.m. a black wolf pup in Slough Creek. At 9:00 a.m. Anne W and I were at Grizzly Overlook glassing. A bus with the superintendent and a bunch of contributors arrived with Tonya M. I got lucky and found 755M and the gray canyon female. Just after that Anne W found a large grizzly also from Grizzly Overlook. Kind of nice to show both predators to the group of contributors. At 10:15 a.m. a small blond grizzly feeding close to road west of Grizzly Overlook, and it crossed the road near the double pullouts in Alum Creek heading east. At 4:30 p.m. I went back over to Tom Miner Basin and found a grizzly sow with three coys. At 6:35 p.m. a large brown grizzly in Tom Miner Basin. I ended the day with a coyote so had a THREE DOG DAY.
Saturday - 04 October
Saturday October 4th. 37 degrees this morning warming up to 58 degrees. The pretty fox was out again near Calcite Springs. At 6:55 a.m. still at Tom Miner Basin a grizzly sow with one coy in view. At 7:05 a.m. the large brown grizzly again at Tom Miner Basin. At 7:20 a.m. the grizzly sow with three coys came into view at Tom Miner Basin. At 10:30 a.m. a black bear at Calcite Springs Curve. From 11:30 a.m. thru 3:30 p.m. a grizzly sow with one yearling cub grazing just south of Dunraven Pass. At 4:10 p.m. a grizzly on Roof Top on the backside of Specimen Ridge viewed from Antelope Creek. At 6:00 p.m. three gray and three black wolves (probably most of them pups) in Slough Creek.
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Sunday - 05 October
Sunday October 5th. 37 degrees this morning warming up to 64 degrees. The fox near Calcite Springs was gathering a lot of photographers this morning. At 7:30 a.m. two grizzlies on a carcass far south of the Confluence (one was light and one dark-but really a long way away). At 9:40 a.m. three black and four gray wolves (probably mostly pups) in Slough Creek. At 9:30 a.m. a grizzly appeared and roamed through the wolves in Slough Creek, the wolves did expedite its departure. At 9:40 a.m. a cinnamon black bear in Crystal Drainage. At 11:20 a.m. the black bear sow with three coys in Calcite Curve (these cubs are still smaller than average). At 12:00 noon the grizzly sow with one yearling cub just south of Dunraven Pass (the cub bothered mom when she was bedded, but did get the sow the nurse it briefly). At 1:30 p.m. a small blond grizzly just south of Grizzly Overlook in Hayden Valley. It grazed 100-150 yards from the road until it decided to cross with 50 plus cars. It was not successful in getting across so turned and walked 5-10 feet from the cars all the way pass Richard B and my car (Richard had his car door open as it passed by). At 5:45 p.m. a third grizzly on the far carcass south of the confluence. At 5:50 p.m. five black and two gray wolves (missing one black pup) in view near the carcass far south of the Confluence (first time in two weeks that pack had been seen from the road and Stacey from Tennessee, one couple I did not know and I were the only one to see them).
Monday - 06 October
Monday October 6th. 37 degrees this morning warming up to 64 degrees. The fox at Calcite Springs out entertaining the photographers and tourists again. At 7:15 a.m. three grizzlies on and near the carcass far south of the Confluence. At 7:20 a.m. a dark grizzly just across the road at the Confluence (Yep, we were glassing far and wide and watching the three grizzlies when Doug M. from Silver Gate spotted this grizzly now 150 yards from us). At 9:20 a.m. the entire group of pups from the Junction Butte Pack, two black and three grays were out playing in Slough Creek. At 11:00 a.m. a grizzly far north and west of Grizzly Overlook. I had another THREE DOG DAY today. At 2:30 p.m. Scarface just south of Dunraven Pass grazing and digging. At 3:00 p.m. the grizzly sow with one yearling cub showed up south of Grizzly Overlook, and stayed near the new bathroom pullout sensing Scarface was only 800 yards or so away.
Tuesday - 07 October
Tuesday October 7th. 40 degrees this morning warming up to 70 degrees. A moose in the old Druid Rendezvous area this morning. At 7:15 a.m. a grizzly just off the road at the Confluence (a lighter grizzly then yesterday morning, and yes we spotted it before we walked up the hill at the Confluence). At 7:25 a.m. we determined that one grizzly was still on the carcass far south of the Confluence. At 7:35 a.m. a small dark grizzly in the rendezvous area moving east (might have been the dark grizzly that was near the road yesterday morning). At 8:30 a.m. ten of eleven of the Junction Butte wolves north of Boulder Pullout heading north and out of sight for the rest of today and pretty much since then (three black and 7 grays, missing one of the gray yearlings). At 11:00 a.m. 755M and the Canyon gray female again found by Anne W with her new 30 X 70 Swarovski Scope. I did find a coyote and fox so had my THREE DOG DAY again today.
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