Yellowstone National Park 2020 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
September 10th through 15th, 2020
Yellowstone National Park
~ September 2020 ~
Thursday - September 10th
I camped outside of Gardiner Wednesday night. 35 degrees this morning warming up to 70 degrees. The road to Roosevelt is under construction. This morning I did my viewing north of Gardiner and outside of the park. I ended up with three grizzly sows with two cubs of the year each, a grizzly sow with one light yearling, a grizzly sow with a huge yearling, and one single grizzly. At 10:15 a.m. back in the park I watched 19 wolves, mainly puppies but a few adults in the old Druid rendezvous area.
Friday - September 11th
I camped outside the northeast entrance with 28 degrees this morning warming up to 80 degrees. Evan S showed me a grizzly in the old Druid rendezvous area at 6:50 a.m. At 7:00 a.m. I viewed sixteen wolves, adults and puppies in the old Druid rendezvous area. I did my viewing tonight outside of Gardiner. I viewed three grizzly families with two cubs of the year, and the sow with the light-colored yearling, and a single grizzly and a large boar grizzly tonight. Around 7:10 p.m. I located a carcass above the main meadow. The first of three sows with 2 coys ran off the single grizzly on the carcass. Then the sow with the light yearling arrived and a brief fight, less than a minute, took place. They growled during the fight which we could hear at well over a half a mile. The sow with the yearling was the winner. The first sow with the coys stayed around the area and was seen from time to time near the carcass. Then the second sow with two coys came to the carcass area but did not approach the carcass. Then a large boar appeared in the meadow and just at dark pushed the sow with the yearling off. At dark, the third sow with two coys appeared in the meadow and was moving towards the carcass at dark. I camped outside of Gardiner tonight.
Saturday - September 12th
38 degrees warming to 72 degrees. I saw a cow moose outside of the park this morning. I viewed all three sows with two coys, the sow with the light yearling cub, the sow with the large yearling cub and two separate grizzlies in the meadow this morning. And a single grizzly near last night’s carcass this morning all outside of the park this morning. I got back into the park and glassed from the Nature Trail at Blacktail at 8:45 a.m. I found two gray and seven black wolves far to the south moving east. My first viewing of members of the Eight Mile Pack this year. At 7:00 p.m. tonight 17 black and 5 gray wolves, mixture of adults and mainly puppies in the old Druid rendezvous area. The pack still has eighteen pups, 11 blacks and 7 grays. Also, around 7:00 p.m. a medium light grizzly was seen in the old Druid rendezvous area. Then at 7:15 p.m. two dark grizzlies moved west to east thru the wolves and the rendezvous area. One was harassed quite a bit by the wolves.
Sunday - September 13th
I spent the night outside of Silver Gate. It was 32 degrees in the morning with smoke returning all day warming up to 82 degrees. I saw a fox on the way into the valley this morning. At 6:40 a.m. I counted 22 wolves in the old Druid rendezvous area this morning (the wolf watchers count was 31). At 6:45 a.m. we had a medium sized light grizzly was in the rendezvous area, it was seen again at (8:00 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and tonight.
Monday - September 14th
I stayed outside of Silver Gate where it was smoky and 32 degrees this morning warming up to a hot 85 degrees. At 7:00 a.m. I spotted a grizzly in the rendezvous area. At 7:00 a.m. 1047M, a black yearling, and 15 pups (10 black, and 5 gray) were in the rendezvous area. At 7:40 a.m. Chris H called with wolves surrounding a bison south of the Institute. When I arrived, the bison was deceased. We had eleven wolves around the carcass: all three adult gray wolves (907F, 1228F, and the male), 996M, 1048M, 1229M, and five black yearlings/adults. This evening I went outside of the park north of Gardiner for viewing. I saw the grizzly sow with the light-colored yearling and one sow with two coys.
Tuesday - September 15th
I stayed north of Gardiner tonight with 42 degrees in the morning with smoke warming up to 82 degrees in the park later. I had a cow moose this morning outside of the park. I viewed outside of the park this morning seeing the grizzly with the light yearling, a sow with two coys, and two separate grizzlies. At 10:15 a.m. back in the park I watched a limping 1047M come to the bison carcass south of the Institute. At 6:50 p.m. we had 9 black and 2 gray puppies in the old Druid rendezvous area.
People Seen
Wolf watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Melba C, Ron and Linda, Dan and Laurie L, Jeremy S, and Janice and Cindy H. From Wyoming: Larry and Linda H. From Missouri: Frank H. From Utah: Pam and Denny D, and Paul H. From South Dakota: Sam and Ginny G. From Pennsylvania: Dusty. From Canada: Jeff A. From Texas: Carl L and Carol S. From Arizona: Reve and Susan. From Oregon: Bruce and Kelly H. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Wyoming: Terri W. From Idaho: Blake M, and Carla and Jennings S. From Montana: Scott M. From Colorado: Len and Rick H. From Washington: Larry and Linda R. Others seen this report: From Montana: Cara M, Chris H, Audra C, Taylor B, George B, Dan and Cindy H, Bob L, Evan S, Grant, MacNeil L, and Mike and Maave O. From Wyoming: Paul B. And from Idaho: Adam B.
Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | ||
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Yellowstone National Park Trip Reports | |
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Yellowstone Geyser and Thermal Videos | |
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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 |
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Gardiner, Montana | Silver Gate, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana | Cooke City, Montana |
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Links | |
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The Great Outdoors Net | Great Outdoor Recreational Places |
Gardiner, Montana | West Yellowstone, Montana |