Yellowstone National Park 2019 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
06 through 09 April 2019 - Yellowstone National Park
 |
~ April 2019 ~
 |
Saturday - April 6th
46 degrees in Gardiner and 35 degrees in Little America this morning warming up to 46 degrees out in the park with light rain. New snow covered the few bare ridges up high today. We had two bedded moose near Hitching Post this morning and a cow and calf moose in the willows south of S Curve this morning on the Blacktail Plateau. At 6:25 a.m. I spotted a large dark grizzly on a carcass south of Curve Pullout in Little America. At 7:10 a.m. the walk down to Bob's Knob is getting a little easier as the snow melts. A grizzly had left the carcass already when I arrived. It was a large dark grizzly and I watched for about ten minutes as he headed to the trees.
Sunday - April 7th
43 degrees in Gardiner but only 36 degrees in Little America this morning warming up to 46 degrees out in the park. I had a white tailed snowshoe hare on the road this morning. It was just starting to turn brown from the winter white. At 6:40 a.m. a large dark grizzly was on the carcass south of the S Curve Pullout. Before 8:00 a.m. the large dark grizzly left the carcass heading east and uphill out of sight. A collared grizzly was bedded to the west not far away and now came to the carcass. I left at 6:30 p.m. and the collared grizzly was still on the carcass. Last night a photographer stayed until dark and had this story to tell. When they arrived the large dark grizzly was on the carcass. About 7:00 p.m. a smaller collared grizzly came in from the west. The large dark grizzly moved away so the collared grizzly moved in to the carcass. The large dark grizzly rubbed his back on a tree in the next stand of trees. Then the collared grizzly came over and rubbed its back on the same tree. A brief greeting was followed by a nose to nose meeting and then the collared grizzly went back to the carcass as it got dark.
Monday - April 8th
 |
47 degrees at Gardiner but only 44 degrees in Little America this morning warming up to about 47 degrees. I had a single trumpeter swan flying in Slough Creek this morning. A little later at Dorothy's Pullout in Lamar Valley Evan S. pointed out a group of six trumpeter swans flying to the south and west. The Junction Butte wolves (seven of the eleven) had a kill at Hellroaring Overlook this morning. I did not see the wolves, but this afternoon only a few eagles and ravens were on the carcass area. I also had one vulture flying over the carcass area. At 6:25 a.m. a grizzly was on the carcass south of Curve Pullout. As we got better light it was not either the large dark or collared grizzly. Bob H recognized the grizzly as one of the fighting grizzlies from a few days ago on the Bob's Knob carcass. I saw a photographer coming out of Slough this morning and was surprised when he said there were three grizzlies in the area of the carcass. I headed out and found a large grizzly on the carcass. It soon left and then a second large grizzly appeared and went towards the carcass. Soon both decided to leave in a hurry for the hills and tree cover. The wind was not blowing at our backs, so I am not sure why they left so quickly. The photographer returned to Bob's Knob and pointed out the third grizzly already near the Horizontal Forest moving away. I decided to revisit the Curve Pullout and was delighted to see the large grizzly had left and the collared grizzly was back on the carcass. This afternoon the carcass was all but gone, I do not expect any more activity at the Curve Pullout carcass. This is probably a bad sign for grizzly sightings. All but one of my sightings has been carcass related - on the carcass or coming or going from the carcass. The carcass at Slough still surprises me with bears coming, it is almost gone too.
Tuesday - April 9th
49 degrees in Gardiner and 39 degrees at Slough Creek this morning warming up to 45 degrees in the park this afternoon. This last week the snow has melted considerably as night time temperatures have not been below freezing. I found a muskrat in Boulder Lake Pond today. I also had a fox across for Pebble Creek Campground this afternoon. I had not seen a black bear this year until this afternoon when at 1:20 p.m. I found a large one behind the Tower Ranger Station. I parked at the Ranger Station entrance and the bear came out to the road passing my car by a few feet. Then if followed the main road to the west up Tower Hill before finally crossing to the north. At 6:15 a.m. I was surprised to see a grizzly on the carcass at Curve Pullout. I wanted to walk down to Bob's Knob early this morning so I did not stay long enough to see if it was the collared grizzly. About 6:40 p.m. I arrived at Bob's Knob to see two grizzlies in sight, one on the carcass and one bedded one hundred yards to the east. After ten minutes the first grizzly left the carcass following Slough Creek down to the west and out of sight. Then the second one moved to the carcass. He found a ravine or something and disappeared from our view for about ten minutes. When he got to the carcass he stayed quite a while and slowly moved away in good view for quite a while.
 |
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Melba C, Doug M, Amy T and Ilona P. From California: Bob and Nell H. From Colorado: Jeremy S. From Michigan: Dan and Susan R-W. From Wyoming: Larry and Linda H. From the UK: Alan and Kirsty P. From Arizona: Reve and Susan. And from Idaho: Ray L and Kathy. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Louisiana: Bruce P. And from Virginia: Daniel and Gabriel M. Others seen this report: From Idaho: Rob M, and Karyn D. From Montana: Leo L, Jim H, Dimitor and Neli N, Bob L, MacNeil L. and Kaia L, Jim and Judy W, Allen K, Linda C, Evan S, Emil M, Chris H, and George B. From Washington: Nick and Diane L. From the Netherlands: Jort V. From Colorado: Jim and Bobbie.
 |
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 |
 |  |