Yellowstone National Park 2016 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
07 through 09 October 2016
~ October 2016 ~
Friday - October 07th
I left around 4:00 a.m. and made good time with little traffic on the roads. 37 degrees in Idaho Falls, but 31 degrees in Hayden Valley warming up to a pleasant 50 degrees. I came up today since the Norris to Mammoth road was to open at 7:00 a.m. and Dunraven Pass was supposed to be open. Well not exactly, Dunraven opened at noon and Norris to Mammoth opened with delays at 4:00 p.m. The great gray owl flew up and landed on a orange snow marker just off the road 1/2 mile south of Canyon Village. At 7:10 a.m. I spotted a small colorful grizzly digging in Alum Creek in Hayden Valley. At 7:25 a.m. I pulled into Grizzly Overlook and Jon and Karen E. had a large collared grizzly on a elk that the wolves had killed at last light last night. All nine Wapiti Lake wolves were around, although I counted four blacks and three grays (the pack is now made up of the alpha female, a yearling female, three black males from the Mollies Pack, and four pups, one black and three grey). At 9:50 a.m. with the two roads to the northern range still closed I headed east. Raspberry and Snow were near the parking lot at Nine Mile about nine miles east of Fishing Bridge. They were about 60 yards off the road and at the parking lot they were digging as usual. At 3:20 p.m. from Antelope Creek I spotted four blacks and one gray of the Junction Butte wolf pack on the backside of Specimen Ridge. After they disappeared I headed to Little America and Slough hoping to spot them again - no luck. I spent all three nights outside the park near Silver Gate.
Saturday - October 08th
A warm 38 degrees in the morning warming up to a nice 59 degrees. The Yellowstone River in Hayden still has six trumpeter swans in it. There was a new bull elk carcass south of Hubbard Hill and I found a grizzly leaving that carcass at 7:05 a.m. At 10:15 a.m. Raspberry and Snow were near Lake Butte this morning digging. Apparently a large boar chased them and they crossed the road to the east before I arrived. At 2:05 p.m. I found a grizzly digging on the backside of Specimen Ridge near Gun sight viewed from Antelope Creek. At 6:35 p.m. we watched a small grizzly on the # 3 finger of Norris viewed from the Soda Butte Valley and later it reappeared on the # 4 finger.
Sunday - October 09th
29 degrees and frost on the car this morning warming up to a nice 60 degrees today. At 7:10 a.m. there was a grizzly leaving the carcass at Hubbard Hill. At 7:25 a.m. we had a grizzly and four black wolves together below Dead Puppy Hill viewed from Footbridge Pullout. No carcass, but the grizzly followed the wolves on to Dead Puppy Hill and later when they moved to the east. The wolves were 926F and little T of the Lamar Canyon wolf pack and a collared and an uncollared males from the Bear tooth Pack (a Montana pack). The Lamar Canyon pack is now only three, 926F, little T and the gray male 965M who was not around. The wolves and bear moved to the east and all four wolves crossed the road to the north just east of the Soda Butte Cone. With 926F and little T being females maybe the Bear Tooth males will stay and keep 965M away by himself.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Deby D, Kathie L, Lauri L, Leo L, Alan and Michelle C, Doug M and Alan and Sue O. From Wyoming: Larry and Linda H. From Tennessee: Stacey and Diane. From Idaho: Ray L and Kathy and Warren and Natalie B. From Colorado: Anne W. From the Netherlands: Pauline M. From Iowa: Jim and Joellen B. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette J. Bear Watchers: from Idaho Jon and Karen E. Others: From Montana: Bob L, Dan H, and Marilynn. From Texas: Keith W. From Washington: Ed M. And from Louisiana: Bruce P. Bob B from Utah was not sighted on this trip.
Buffalo Youngsters Playing - April 16th, 2016 - Lamar Valley
Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | ||
---|---|---|
2021 | 2016 | 2011 |
2020 | 2015 | 2010 |
2019 | 2014 | 2009 |
2018 | 2013 | 2008 |
2017 | 2012 | 2007 |
Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | |
---|---|
1995 | 2000 |
1996 | 2002 |
1997 | 2003 |
1998 | 2004 |
1999 | 2005 |
Yellowstone Geyser and Thermal Videos | |
---|---|
Beehive Geyser Eruption | Old Faithful with Bison |
Beehive Geyser Eruption Two | Pocket Basin |
Fan and Mortar | Roaring Mountain |
Grand Geyser | Rocket and Grotto |
Old Faithful One | West Thumb |
Yellowstone Waterfall Videos | ||
---|---|---|
Cave Falls | Mesa Falls | Undine Falls |
Gibbon Falls | Rustic Falls | Upper Falls |
Lower Falls | Tower Fall | Wraith Falls |
Yellowstone National Park WebCams | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Old Faithful Live | All Old Faithful | Old Faithful Static | Old Faithful VC | North Entrance | Mt Washburn | Mammoth | YVO WebCam |
Entrance Cities and Gateway Towns | |||
---|---|---|---|
Gardiner, Montana | Silver Gate, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana | Cooke City, Montana |
Livingston, Montana | Cody, Wyoming | Jackson Hole, Wyoming | Yellowstone National Park |
Links | |
---|---|
The Great Outdoors Net | Great Outdoor Recreational Places |
Gardiner, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana |