Yellowstone National Park 2017 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
30 April through 03 May 2017
~ April 2017 ~
Sunday - April 30th
41 degrees in Gardiner and 29 degrees in Lamar Valley this morning warming up to 51 degrees. We had a vulture on the Lamar Canyon wolf carcass east of Footbridge Pullout today. At 6:00 a.m. we had seven grizzlies near the bison carcass south of the confluence. Of the seven two were a courting pair, and two were sub adult grizzlies. All the grizzlies seem to be fine with being close to other grizzlies. The carcass is spread all over now. At 6:10 a.m. the blond grizzly was grazing to the west of the seven grizzlies and the carcass. At 7:00 a.m. I spotted a small dark grizzly digging on A-Z Meadow. Also at 7:00 a.m. we had one gray and three black Junction Butte wolves on Jasper Bench (969F, 996M, 1047M, and 1048M). At 7:45 a.m. I found an unusual looking grizzly in the Lion Meadow in Slough Creek. The entire rear of the grizzly was brown, and even the Yellowstone Stripe was a brown color. At 8:00 a.m. we had a collared grizzly in the large meadow in Crystal Drainage viewed from the Slough Creek Restroom (which was opened for the first day since I arrived in March). At 8:20 a.m. John G found the grizzly with the two year old blond cub in the Yellow Grass Meadow in Slough Creek. Later it appeared in the Slough Bowl, north and east of the restroom, and towards evening it was found in Lamar Valley north of Fisherman's Pullout. At 8:40 a.m. the gray un-collared wolf was on top of the Sage Den in Slough Creek. At 10:35 a.m. a tall grizzly was digging across the river south and east of the Soda Butte Cone. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 2:30 p.m. four blacks and one gray wolf bedded south and west of the Institute on the east end of Jasper Bench (note: same wolves as this morning, but an extra black this afternoon). At 4:15 p.m. we watched a grizzly following three bison with fresh calves north of Coyote Overlook. At 5:15 p.m. the grizzly sow with one yearling cub was moving north of Boulder Pullout heading for Junction Butte.
~ May 2017 ~
Monday - May 1st
40 degrees in Gardiner but 35 degrees in Lamar Valley warming up to 52 degrees. I had a cow moose at Elk Creek on the way back to Gardiner tonight. Between 5:45 a.m. and 6:15 a.m. we had seven grizzlies around the bison carcass south of the confluence (one close across the river, two near the carcass, one large grizzly chasing two smaller grizzlies - think a sow chasing off the two year old cubs) and one far to the west near Chalcedony Fan. At 5:50 a.m. small dot the black wolf of the Lamar Canyon pack visited the carcass area. At 6:30 a.m. I spotted a courting pair of grizzlies on Amethyst Bench. At 6:45 a.m. I found a colorful grizzly north of Picnic Pullout. At 7:25 a.m. the grizzly with the yearling was on the east side of Junction Butte viewed first from Slough Creek then from Straight-away Pullout. They were out again at 5:30 p.m. At 8:00 a.m. Ralph N found a large dark grizzly going over a hill north of Straight-away pullout, a good spot at a long distance. At 8:25 a.m. the gray un-collared Prospect Peak wolf was sitting on top of the Sage Den in Slough Creek. At 11:15 a.m. we had a blond grizzly digging on the high end of Amethyst Bench. At 11:30 a.m. Randi M found a nice colored light brown black bear high north of Picnic Pullout. I had a THREE DOG DAY again today. At 6:00 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a grizzly sow with a blond two year old cub on the # 2 Finger of Norris.
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Tuesday - May 2nd
42 degrees in Gardiner and 37 degrees in Lamar Valley warming up to 52 degrees with afternoon winds. Two vultures seen on an elk carcass in the Lamar River at Lamar Canyon East. A red tailed hawk in the old owl nest south of Lamar Canyon East Pullout. At 5:45 a.m. a dark grizzly was seen south of Trashcan Pullout. The grizzly sow was still chasing off her two two year old cubs on Amethyst Bench this morning. At 5:50 a.m. a tourist without binoculars walked up the Trash Can Hill to tell us a nice sized grizzly was behind us within a few hundred yards. At 6:10 a.m. we climbed above the confluence to find five grizzlies around the carcass (three separate nice sized grizzlies and a courting pair towards Chalcedony Fan). At 7:30 a.m. Randi M found two gray wolves one collared and one not collared on Amethyst Bench moving west. None of the wolf people got there in time to see them, but the guessing was Prospect Peak pack members. At 7:45 a.m. Paul B called with a grizzly with the blond two year old cub north of Fisherman's Pullout, about 350 yards from the Pullout. I had a THREE DOG DAY again today. At 8:40 a.m. I spotted a dark brown black bear in Slough Creek east of the Horizontal Forest. At 9:40 a.m. we watched a grizzly find an elk carcass just west of Picnic Area (John G and Randi had noticed it opened up - and the wolves on Amethyst Bench had bloody noses). At 10:40 a.m. the gray un-collared Prospect Peak female bedded on the Sage Den in Slough Creek (we hardly ever see any other of the pack around, so not sure if they are bringing her food). We heard yesterday that the alpha female of the Prospect Peak pack was killed by other wolves in Slough Creek. It is assumed that she had pups and denned to the west. At noon the black bear sow with two brown cubs of the year were near the Yellowstone River Bridge (out again about 5:30 p.m. in the same place with the bear management people trying to keep a brown black bear from crossing the road towards them). While watching the black bear family I glassed Junction Butte and found the grizzly with her yearling cub on the sky line while watching from the bridge. Nice to have three black bears and two grizzlies in sight at the same time. From 12:40 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. we had a black wolf (small dot we think) of the Lamar Canyon wolf pack north of the Picnic Area trying to get a bison calf - it was unsuccessful. At 4:20 p.m. I spotted a grizzly above the Diagonal Forest in Slough Creek going uphill. I watched for thirty five minutes as it topped the sky line and went over out of sight.
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Wednesday - May 3rd
35 degrees in Gardiner this morning but 27 degrees in Lamar Valley warming up to a beautiful 62 degrees for the nicest day in two weeks. I watched a golden eagle south of the Institute and two vultures east of Footbridge Pullout today. I also had a THREE DOG DAY. Eighteen different grizzlies today. All the action on the confluence carcass the last few days is over. At 6:00 a.m. I found a courting pair north of Fisherman's Pullout viewed from Coyote Overlook. We soon realized that the sow was the same sow with the 2 1/2 year blond cub as yesterday morning in the same location. Lots of following by the boar and standing up by the sow as she took him on a roundabout tour north of the road. At 6:10 a.m. the blond 2 1/2 year old was spotted all by itself. It sat on a rock looking around for an explanation why he was no longer wanted by his mom. After quite a while the boar got concerned about the proximity to the road and ran uphill and out of sight. Then the sow returned to pick up the cub and moved over the hill to a different spot. I have never seen a sow return to the cub after courting behavior has started. While at Coyote Pullout we found a grizzly in the old Druid rendezvous area. The wolf people had spotted a black wolf (small dot from the Lamar Canyon pack), across the river from the Old Picnic area; we watched it from Coyote Overlook. At 6:25 a.m. we had a grizzly digging across the river and east near a small island of trees west of Amethyst Drainage. At 6:30 a.m. a second grizzly was spotted in the old Druid rendezvous area (this one coming out of the trees). At 6:50 a.m. still at Coyote Pullout we found a courting pair of grizzlies east of Amethyst Bench. The boar looked dark and the sow was much lighter and smaller. At 7:15 a.m. still at Coyote Pullout we found a grizzly moving south from the river corridor east of the Institute. At 7:25 a.m. still at Coyote Overlook we saw a grizzly in the brush near the day old elk carcass in the Lamar River just west of Picnic Pullout. This was a small sow that ran from the southern woods all the way to the spent carcass. She got a few bites, not much left, urinated then crossed the road to the north and went up and over out of sight. At 9:00 a.m. from Footbridge Pullout the tall grizzly was digging again south and east of the Soda Butte Cone. He was seen twice in the afternoon, but was grazing then near the same place. At 9:15 a.m. still at Footbridge Pullout a large light grizzly in a high sagebrush clearing to the south and east. At 9:45 a.m. still at Footbridge Pullout two grizzlies in the old Druid rendezvous area that turned out to be a sow and a 2 1/2 half year old. They remained in view digging or grazing for well over an hour. At 10:30 a.m. still at Footbridge Pullout a grizzly sow and yearling were seen north and west below the Moosehead. I believe this is the sow that had one cub of the year last year that hung around Druid Peak. At 11:30 a.m. we had a light brown black bear north and east of Footbridge Pullout. At 2:15 p.m. back at Footbridge Pullout there was a large light brown black bear south and east of Footbridge. From 5:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. the grizzly with the yearling was in sight on the east side of Junction Butte. I heard this morning from a couple from Oregon that they were there in the morning. I located them from Slough Creek then moved to Boulder Pullout for some nice viewing. The cub entertained himself most of the time rolling over and playing with its legs lying on his back. At 5:45 p.m. my last sighting for this report was a nice sized black bear north and west of Floating Island Lake.
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People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Amy T, Bob and Elizabeth N, Frank and Kay Y, Josh A, Ilona P, Lizzie C, and Alan and Sue O. From California: Bob and Nell H, and Joe M. From Utah: Jerry and Julia C, and Chris C. From the UK: Alan and Kirsty P. From Colorado: Ric and Kathy T. From Minnesota: Scott W and his wife. From Texas: Carol S and Carl L,. From Florida: Rick K. From Oklahoma: Robert and Pam W. Bear Watchers: From Montana: Ralph N, Jack G, Shari and Lorene, and Kevin and Tammy. From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Illinois: Wayne K. From Washington: John G and Randi M. From Idaho: Jon and Karen E. From Ohio: Jim and Twyla E. From Colorado: Ed A. Others: From Montana: Jim H, Dan and Cindy H, Bob L, and Cliff B. From Wyoming: Paul B. From Oregon: Dale and Elva P. From Arizona: David and Phyllis. From Washington: Ed M. All finally from Utah: Bob B.
Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
