Yellowstone National Park 2021 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

05 through 08 May 2021
Yellowstone National Park

~ May 2021 ~

Wednesday - May 5th

23 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 59 degrees. At 5:50 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly this side of the Lamar River viewed from Coyote Overlook. It moved east and walked across the Lamar River then proceeded over the east side of Jasper Bench and out of sight. At 7:00 a.m. we had a black bear on the # 3 finger on Norris (Bruce P had a better look from the Soda Butte Valley and said it was a cinnamon black bear). At 8:05 a.m. Kevin M called me to the YES Pullout and showed me a grizzly in the old Druid Rendezvous area moving south. It encountered a few coyotes and picked up what looked like a small dead bison calf. The grizzly moved out of sight behind the western foothills. At 8:20 a.m. I found a large grizzly high in Salad Bowl. A brief sighting as I showed Kevin M and it went over the top of the hill and out of sight. At 8:45 a.m. I found a medium colorful grizzly digging in the A-Z Meadow viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 1:45 p.m. I found a small grizzly digging on the # 3 finger on Norris viewed from Soda Butte middle pullout. At 2:45 p.m. I found a new family for us, a grizzly sow with one yearling in the Bowl from Midpoint Pullout. The cub stayed really close to the sow and we watched for over thirty minutes before they disappeared east of A-Z Pullout. At 5:45 p.m. the grizzly sow with two yearlings made an appearance in the middle of Ski Slope. Good viewing for almost one hour as they moved up thru the snow cornice with the cubs playing a lot in the snow then over the top of the cornice to the usual clearing they enjoy. At 5:50 p.m. someone pointed out a large dark grizzly digging in A-Z Meadow and was in view for over an hour.

Thursday - May 6th

25 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a warm 75 degrees. The park service opened the road at Slough Creek all the way to the lower restroom. The wolf watchers now are closer and have a good look at the Natal Den area. I heard one black pup was seen today. Yesterday we noticed coyote and bird activity a few hundred yards southwest of Coyote Overlook. We viewed a badger today across the road from the Institute. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 5:30 a.m. we had a large, collared grizzly on the carcass. We think the same grizzly as yesterday. He was missing all or most of his right ear. Thinking about the carcass we decided the grizzly had probably been on it yesterday morning leaving before we arrived and seen this side of the Lamar River. Good look at it in the dark before it traveled the same route as yesterday eventually over the east end of Jasper Bench. We were wondering how the coyotes and birds were getting into the carcass. A bison carcass requires a wolf or a bear to open it up. At 5:45 a.m. a second smaller grizzly was noticed just across the Lamar River and was joined by 1228F a gray Junction Butte wolf according to Frank H. The grizzly disappeared shortly after going out of sight in the trees under Jasper Bench. At 8:45 a.m. two black wolves and 1228F were hunting bison calves south of the Institute. At 9:00 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow with two yearlings on the eastern leg of Ski Slope running down hill. They eventually made it down to the valley floor for excellent viewing until about noon. Around 1:45 p.m. we returned, and they were now on Amethyst Bench for another hour of viewing. Around 7:00 p.m. I found them again on Amethyst Bench. At 10:00 a.m. a gray yearling wolf was north of Fisherman's Pullout. At 10:10 a.m. a black Junction Butte wolf was seen just north of Coyote Overlook. Apparently four wolves eventually arrived at the carcass to feed making the photographers quite happy. At 1:30 p.m. two black wolves from this morning had moved to the east after hunting bison calves were seen near the tree line southwest of the Confluence. At 5:45 p.m. I found a grizzly sow with one yearling on Middle Ridge viewed from Lamar Canyon West. Poor light but slowed quite a few people the grizzly family. At 6:00 p.m. I relocated to Fisherman's Pullout in Lamar and watched them in really poor light. At 6:15 p.m. we had a large black bear in Lamar Canyon. At 7:15 p.m. I found a grizzly sow with two cubs of the year on K-2 Meadow from Footbridge Pullout. The cubs were really active running around often ten yards or so away from the sow then catching each other for a wrestling match.

Friday - May 7th

40 degrees this morning in Sliver Gate warming up to a nice 71 degrees but with afternoon winds. At 5:15 a.m. in the dark we could see the same large grizzly as yesterday on the carcass near Coyote Overlook. By 5:45 a.m. he had had enough of the cars and moved off the carcass and south. He moved east and crossed the Lamar River in a different spot and got pushed down the river and had to swim this morning. At 5:35 a.m. soon after the grizzly left the carcass Frank H saw one black and one gray un-collared wolf plus 1228F immediately go and feed on the carcass. At 6:30 a.m. I found 1048M alone south of Midpoint Pullout. At 6:55 a.m. Dean D found a medium sized grizzly digging and traveling in Bear Meadow viewed from the Institute. At 9:15 a.m. 1048m was joined by the alpha male, the alpha female, and a gray yearling south of the carcass area. At 1:30 p.m. Dean D found the grizzly sow with two yearlings east of A-Z Meadow. They were traveling a lot and often running with stops for a little digging and eating. They were later seen in the large meadow behind the eastern part of Jasper Bench heading into the Amethyst Drainage. At 6:50 p.m. I spotted a large cinnamon black bear in K-2 Meadow moving west viewed from Footbridge Pullout.

Saturday - May 8th

37 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 43 degrees with scattered storms moving thru the park all day creating poor visibility at times. At 5:30 a.m. we had two black yearling wolves hunting bison calves right in front of the bison carcass. At 5:45 a.m. I found a black bear south of Fisherman's Pullout. At 7:15 a.m. I spotted a black wolf south of Midpoint Pullout moving east quickly. At 8:00 a.m. wolf 1048M was seen moving towards the east at a slow pace south of Trashcan Pullout. Around 8:30 a.m. John G found the grizzly sow with two yearlings east of Amethyst Bench. Today was my shower and visit Gardiner day but was glad to see John was still watching the grizzly family when I returned at 11:30 a.m. The grizzly family was out again today on Square Meadow south of the Institute at 4:00 p.m. and out on Ski Slope tonight at 7:00 p.m. At 11:45 a.m. Paul S found a small brown grizzly in A-Z Meadow viewed from near the Institute. This grizzly was in view later in the big meadow south of the east end of Jasper Bench. At 12:20 p.m. we had a large black bear viewed from Footbridge Pullout between Penny Lane and the fingers of Norris. At 3:15 p.m. a black wolf killed a lone bison calf south of YES Pullout. The cow was a carcass this morning and the calf mistakenly returned to the cow bison carcass. At 6:30 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a black bear sow with two cubs of the year, one black and one brown south of Lamar Canyon East.

People Seen

People seen from April 30th thru May 8th. Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Marlene F, Janice and Cindy H, Jeremy S, Barb M, Claire L, Melba C, and Reve and Susan C. From Missouri: Frank H. From South Dakota: Sam and Ginny G. From Utah: Denny and Pam D, Paul H, and Jerry and Julia C. From Virginia: Big John B. From North Dakota: Becky B. From Colorado: Karol. and From Idaho: Roger and Lynda S. Bear Watchers: From Washington: Randi M and John G. From Montana: Scott M, Chuck, Joe and Jeanne L, Mike and Kathy W, Doug M, and Shari S. From Utah: Hayden G, Dean and Jeri D, and Larry M. From Georgia: Ken C. From Florida: Chris C. From Ohio: Jim and Twyla E. From Wisconsin: Don L. And from Oklahoma: Paul S. Others seen: From Montana: Evan S, Cara M, Ken S, Pete B, Jim H, George and Jenny B, Ranger Kevin D, Grant J, and Will S. From Iowa: Jim B. From Missouri: Fred and Linda. From Indiana: Jeff and Terry B. From Wyoming: Kevin M, and Russ G. From Idaho: Ray L and Kathy. And from Massachusetts: Ed S.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park