Yellowstone National Park 2021 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

17 through 20 May 2021
Yellowstone National Park

~ May 2021 ~

Monday - May 17th

37 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 73 degrees. I had three moose near the Pebble Creek Campground this evening. At 5:25 a.m. John G found a grizzly southwest of Fisherman's Pullout viewed from Coyote Overlook. We have been seeing this grizzly every third day or so in the same place digging. At 6:00 a.m. Kim C found a grizzly sow with two yearlings on the # 1 finger on Norris. By 7:45 a.m. the family had moved down to the Soda Butte Creek Drainage and it was great viewing. At 7:40 a.m. Kim C found a grizzly sow with two cubs of the year (coys) on the western end of Druid Peak. By this afternoon we located them again but on the eastern end of Druid Peak. At 8:00 a.m. three black Junction Butte wolves were seen south of Coyote Overlook. At 8:30 a.m. a grizzly sow with two coys were on the western flank of Middle Ridge viewed from Slough Creek restroom. They appeared again on Middle Ridge at 6:00 p.m. At 8:50 a.m. 1228F a gray Junction Butte wolf was south west of Coyote Overlook. At 10:00 a.m. we had a black bear in the tree line west of Chalcedony Drainage. At 3:00 p.m. Kevin M made the spot of the day by finding a courting pair of grizzlies on the highest bare meadow southeast of Fisherman's Pullout. Kevin was kind enough to run me down and tell be about them. When I arrived John G informed me that they had been tied and have just separated. I watched the boar chase the sow over the ridge, but they returned and bedded for a long time. At 4:30 p.m. I found a bedded black wolf south of Fisherman's Pullout. At 6:00 p.m. I watched one black and one gray adult wolf plus one black and one gray puppy at the Slough Creek den. At 7:15 p.m. Twyla E found a medium sized grizzly on the # 1 finger of Norris.

Tuesday - May 18th

32 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 74 degrees. I saw one moose near the Soda Butte Cone this morning. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 5:35 a.m. John B found a black bear on Square Meadow viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 5:40 a.m. John B found the grizzly sow with two yearlings low on Ski Slope behind the snow cornice. By 9:00 a.m. they moved down to Amethyst Bench for some good viewing. At 6:40 a.m. we watched a black bear in the tree line in the big meadow behind the eastern end of Jasper Bench. At 7:00 a.m. the grizzly sow with two coys were high on the west flange of Middle Ridge viewed from Slough Creek but better from Crystal Pullout just west of the Lamar River Bridge. At 8:00 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow with two coys on K-2. We have been viewing this family for almost two weeks on K-2, but each day they move into lower and smaller clearings, so viewing is limited. At 8:15 a.m. Bruce P found a medium sized grizzly on the # 1 finger on Norris. At 10:00 a.m. the grizzly sow with two yearlings were found in the Soda Butte Drainage south of the Soda Butte Cone. Great viewing. At 4:30 p.m. the grizzly sow (brown nose) with two coys were on Specimen Ridge viewed from Boulder Lake Pullout. We have had two grizzly families south of Slough Creek in Crystal Drainage. One family has been seen and remained on Middle Ridge. The second family with the sow with the brown nose had moved a little west and is now on Specimen Ridge. At 4:50 p.m. a courting pair of black bears were seen near the Specimen Trailhead east of Yellowstone River Picnic Area. The boar was swimming in a close to the road pond when I arrived and then he followed the sow west. Later they caused a big bear jam as they crossed the Yellowstone River Bridge. Around 5:40 p.m. two black and one gray adult wolves plus one black and one gray puppy were spotted at the Slough Creek Den. The final count on puppies at Slough Creek is seven according to the wolf watchers, four gray and three black. At 6:40 p.m. Kim C found the grizzly sow with two coys on Druid Peak viewed from Footbridge Pullout. A great spot as they were in bare ground near the skyline.

Wednesday - May 19th

33 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 65 degrees. At 5:25 a.m. John B found a dark grizzly again southwest of Fisherman's Pullout viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 5;35 a.m. I found a small colorful grizzly north of Coyote Overlook. At 6:00 a.m. Richard found the grizzly sow with two yearlings on Square Meadow viewed from Picnic Area. At 6:05 a.m. we had a black wolf south of Picnic Area. At 6:10 p.m. I found a black bear north of Picnic Pullout. At 6:15 a.m. we watched a big black bear and a smaller cinnamon black bear (courting pair) in the large clearing behind the eastern end of Jasper Bench. At 6:30 a.m. we had a grizzly sow with two yearlings in the Soda Butte Creek corridor viewed from Footbridge Pullout. They were seen again low across the creek near the Soda Butte Cone. At 7:25 a.m. Richard R found the grizzly sow with two coys on Middle Ridge viewed from Slough Creek restroom. At 7:25 a.m. Kim C found the grizzly sow with two coys on Specimen Ridge viewed from Peregrine Pullout. At 9:00 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with two coys on Druid Peak kind of on the western part. At 9:10 a.m. we had a large black bear south of Midpoint Pullout in the tree line. At 9:40 a.m. Rita R found a small colorful grizzly on Penny Lane best viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 10:00 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow with two coys on K-2 Clearing. At 10:30 a.m. John G found a grizzly high on # 3 finger on Norris. At 4:45 p.m. I watched 907F the female alpha wolf with three black and one gray puppies at the Slough Creek den. At 6:20 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a black bear in the tree line south of the Institute.

Thursday - May 20th

41 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 68 degrees but with lower temperatures and rain in the late afternoon. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 5:25 a.m. we watched a bear (?) across the Lamar River viewed from Coyote Overlook. About six of us bear watchers could not decide if it was a grizzly or black bear, as it walked away never turning to get a good profile. At 5:35 a.m. I found the two Slough Creek sub adults northeast of Coyote Pullout. Gary G found one of them tonight northwest of Dorothy's Pullout then Margaret L saw the second one a little later. At 5:55 a.m. we had a small black bear in the large clearing behind the eastern end of Jasper Bench. At 7:40 a.m. Emil M found the grizzly sow with two coys on Middle Ridge from Slough Creek. At 8:05 a.m. Kim C found the grizzly sow with two yearlings above Square Meadow moving south and up the Ski Slope. When I arrived, they were above the snow cornice on Ski Slope digging. But about two hours later they were seen down on the flats south of Picnic Pullout. This grizzly family really gets around and travels a lot. At 8:20 a.m. Kim C found the grizzly sow (brown nose) with two coys on Specimen Ridge viewed from Boulder Pond Pullout. At 8:05 a.m. 1276F a Junction Butte gray female wolf was seem south of Dorothy's Pullout. At 8:35 a.m. Richard R found a courting pair of grizzlies on Norris viewed from Trashcan Pullout. The pair was in view at times from even Footbridge but by this afternoon moved to Penny Lane. Chloe F and Becky C watched as the sow ran quickly away from the boar as a rainstorm moved through the area. At 8:45 a.m. Randi M again found the grizzly sow with two coys on K-2 in a small clearing just about where they were yesterday. But today they were in sight a lot longer with the sow nursing the cubs and then sleeping in view in the small clearing. At 9:30 a.m. John G found a dark grizzly digging in the second clearing on the skyline east of Penny Lane. At 11:00 a.m. Bruce P found the grizzly sow with two yearlings north of Exclosure Pullout best viewed from Trashcan Pullout. They bedded and slept for almost an hour about 300 yards north of Trashcan Pullout About this time we could still watch the courting pair of Norris and the other grizzly sow with two yearlings came down south of Picnic. At 1:15 p.m. I found a black bear sow with two cute brown cubs on the # 3 finger on Norris. In view for about twenty minutes for good viewing from Soda Butte Middle Pullout.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Chloe F, Becky C, Jeremy S, Dan and Laurie L, Taylor B, Doug M, Rick M, Melba C, and Reve and Susan C. From Colorado: Karel B. From Missouri: Frank H. From Utah: Jerry and Julia C. From Mississippi: Gary G. From South Dakota: Sam and Ginny G. From New York: Rick and Maureen B and from Idaho: Warren and Natalie B. Bear Watchers Seen this report: From Washington: John G, Randi M, John B and Hank L. From Idaho: Marc H, Kim C, and Ned and Theresa. From Utah: Dave H. From Arizona: Gene and Margaret. From Montana: Alan C, Shari S, and Mike and Kathy W. From Missouri: Don and Carol L. From Wyoming: Terri W, and Richard and Rita R. and from Louisiana: Bruce P. Others seen this report: From Montana: Grant J, Will S, Shauna B, Cliff B, Nathan V, Quinn H, Emil M, Evan S, Audra C, Dan and Cindy H, Cara M, Steve B, and MacNeil L. From Wyoming: Kevin M, and Paul B. From Idaho: Adam B. From Arizona: David and Phyllis. From Vermont: John K and Beth. From Texas: Keith W. From Colorado: Jim and Bobbie F. And from Mass: Ed S.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park