Yellowstone National Park 2015 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

13 through 16 April 2015

~ April 2015 ~

Monday - 13 April

It was a cool 25 degrees this morning and warmed to a nice 60 degrees this afternoon. Doug M (wolf watcher) had a mountain lion in the road east of the High Bridge at Mammoth before daylight this morning. At 6:35 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly south and west of straight-away viewed from Dave's Hill. A long view, but he must have crossed the road near Boulder Lake from north to south. He or she had a nice back scratch on a large tree before disappearing into the trees. At 8:00 a.m. we had eight black and three gray (missing one black today) Mollies wolves on the slopes of Hellroaring this morning. Later they turned up in Slough Creek around 11:00 a.m. before disappearing in the Lamar River corridor. At 8:50 a.m. I found a large brown grizzly near Specimen Trail head viewed from the Lamar River Bridge. At 9:00 a.m. I found a dark grizzly digging in a far and high clearing north of the Slough Creek bathroom. At 9:25 a.m. we had a small grizzly on A-Z Meadow. At 9:45 a.m. I spotted a bigger grizzly in Salad Bowl viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 10:10 a.m. I found a grizzly south and west of Fisherman's Pullout, high near the skyline, but close to the Lamar River. At 12:30 p.m. I spotted a grizzly in the bowl viewed from the Institute.

Tuesday - 14 April

34 degrees this morning warming to a warm 66 degrees but really windy in the afternoon. At 8:00 a.m. Scarface spotted south and west of Fisherman's Pullout (I did have a grizzly in the same place yesterday morning, but did not identify it as Scarface). At 8:20 a.m. we had eight black and three gray wolves of the Mollies north of Lamar Canyon East. Later seen north of the Institute and north of Coyote Overlook. The female wanted to cross the road to the south, but could not convince the rest of the pack. At 10:45 a.m. we had two black and four gray wolves (missing black 968F) in Slough Creek. Good viewing as they bedded below Bob's Knob across the creek.

Wednesday - 15 April

27 degrees and warming to 41 degrees but it was stormy with winds and low visibility. I viewed a few whitetail deer viewed near Floating Island Lake today. At 8:10 a.m. Scarface was going towards the trees at the Picnic Area, and then changed directions coming within 35 yards of the pullout and my car before moving west using the road for a spell. For the next two hours Scarface headed west. He followed the river which meant by the time he arrived near Fisherman's Pullout he was close to the road and crossed just west of Fisherman's to the north and out of sight. At 12:00 noon we had a small colorful grizzly on Amethyst Bench viewed from the Institute. At 6:30 p.m. a dark grizzly came to the carcass at Hellroaring. This carcass was discovered in the morning by the wolf people, appeared half gone, and probably not killed by the wolves.

Thursday - 16 April

28 degrees this morning, warming to 54 degrees. I viewed my first osprey and ruddy duck today. The sky was really clear and blue this morning and I found Venus visible still at mid morning. At 8:30 a.m. we had two black and three gray wolves of the Junction Butte pack north of the mixed conifer/aspen forest in Slough Creek (968F still missing, but the four grays were present, I just did not see it. At 9:50 a.m. I spotted a grizzly south and west of the Institute near the island of trees across the Lamar River (best viewed from Dorothy's Knoll). It was out for over an hour and returned this afternoon for another two hours. Two coyotes ran the grizzly into the island of trees once, but it returned to feeding while being watched by one of the coyotes. At 12:25 p.m. I found a small grizzly with a silver belt around its mid section on Ski Slope. It moved past a bison herd, and then ran down the snow hill between Ski Slope and Square Meadow, disappearing into the trees. At 1:40 p.m. we had a large black bear just north and west of the Slough Creek bathroom, having crossed the road south to north prior to me arriving. At 5:30 p.m. I was surprised to have a grizzly return to the carcass at Hellroaring (it was not there when I started glassing at 5:00 p.m.) The grizzly was visible for an hour as it crewed on the last remains of the carcass. Soon after it left, an uncollored dark gray wolf came to the carcass. No wolf people around to identify the wolf, so I am not sure who it was.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Dan and Laurie L, Melba, Ilona P, and Barb. From New York: Wendy. From the United Kingdom: Sian J, and Alan and Kirsty P. From Wyoming: Larry and Linda H. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette J. Bear Watchers: Doug M from Montana Others: from Montana: Kevin S (Bearman), Jim W, Cliff B, MacNeil L, Ken T, Deby D, Dan, Cindy and Kelly H, and Marilyn From Colorado: Jim and Bobbie F. From Oregon: Dale and Elva P. From Utah: Bob B.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park