Yellowstone National Park 2021 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

21 through 24 May 2021
Yellowstone National Park

~ May 2021 ~

Friday - May 21st

32 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 50 degrees. I had a young moose at Soda Butte Picnic area today. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 5:40 a.m. a large grizzly swam the Lamar River just south of Coyote Overlook. At 7:00 a.m. we had a grizzly south and west of Picnic Pullout moving east. At 9:00 a.m. we watched a black wolf in the Slough Bowl chasing a coyote. At 9:30 a.m. Margaret L found the grizzly sow with two coys (cubs of the year) on Specimen Ridge from Long Pullout. At 10:15 a.m. a black wolf was seen southeast of Coyote on this side of the river heading east. At 11:00 a.m. I found a courting pair of grizzlies on Penny Lane. At 11:30 a.m. Doug M (bear watcher) found a grizzly in the Chalcedony Fan that I viewed from near Confluence (this grizzly was darker and larger than the 7:00 a.m. grizzly. At 12:20 p.m. I found the grizzly with two yearlings in the Bowl viewed from the Institute. These were only in sight for a few minutes, but good viewing as the cubs stopped to play in a snowbank. At 4:25 p.m. John B found the grizzly sow with two coys on Middle Ridge. At 5:00 p.m. I had one black puppy at the Slough Creek den. At 6:10 p.m. Marc H found the grizzly sow with two coys on K-2. Randi M had found them earlier today, but I only got to see them when Marc H found them.

Saturday - May 22nd

27 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 63 degrees. I had a cow moose with yearling calf near the Wyoming state line today. At 5:45 a.m. Bruce P found a courting pair of grizzlies on Norris viewed from Confluence, Hitching Post or Footbridge pullouts. They moved to Penny Lane for some good viewing from Footbridge. At 9:40 a.m. the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year were on Specimen Ridge. At 2:45 p.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with two yearling’s northwest of Picnic Pullout who remained bedded most of the time I watched them. At 4:00 p.m. a grizzly sow with two coys was spotted on the Middle Ridge. At 4:30 p.m. 907F a gray female mother and a black adult wolf were seen at the Porch on the Slough Creek den with two black puppies. At 6:05 p.m. I watched a black bear crossing Penny Lane. At 6:40 p.m. Laurie and Dan L told me a grizzly just crossed the road from north to south between Soda Butte Cone and Footbridge Pullout. Chloe F and Becky C directed me to the place to find the grizzly traveling to the south. The grizzly was a tall young grizzly.

Sunday - May 23rd

34 degrees and raining in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 50 degrees. It rained most of the day with snow in the mountains. Low clouds did not lift until after noon today. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. This morning nine wolves moved east thru Yellow Grass Meadow in Slough Creek (seven blacks and two grays, but I only saw six blacks and one gray). At 12:45 p.m. Emil M found the grizzly sow with two coys on the Middle Ridge. Today they were tucked in behind trees and the low clouds returned so the sighting was a brief one. At 12:45 p.m. Emil M also found the grizzly sow with two coys on Specimen Ridge. Good viewing and later they moved down the hill for a long viewing session. At 4:40 p.m. we had a large cinnamon black bear in the tree line west of Chalcedony Fan. At 5:15 p.m. I spotted a black bear sow with a black yearling cub southwest of Picnic Pullout. At 7:20 p.m. I found the grizzly sow with two yearlings south of the Moosehead northeast of Trashcan Pullout.

Monday - May 24th

34 degrees and snowing this morning but it was not sticking on the roads warming up to 53 degrees. At 5:20 a.m. John G found a courting pair of grizzlies north of Coyote Overlook. They traveled east and we assume went north over the hill and were not seen again. At 5:55 a.m. Blake M found a grizzly chasing an elk on Specimen Ridge viewed from Coyote Overlook. The grizzly then circled around looking for the elk calf. No success there but later Blake M found the grizzly again this time on the Middle Ridge where it was circling with its nose to the ground looking for calves. At 6:10 a.m. John G found another grizzly north of Coyote Overlook also moving east and out of sight. At 6:20 a.m. Richard R found a large grizzly coming out north and east of Coyote where we expected the courting pair to emerge from. So, we have four grizzlies north of Coyote Overlook and Blake's grizzly to the south and west to start this morning. At 7:10 a.m. I found a grizzly high on Norris moving south viewed from Trashcan Pullout. This was a five-minute sighting. At 7:40 a.m. I found a large brown grizzly north of Hubbard Hill viewed from the Institute. It was hunting for elk calves and six or seven elk cows were interested in its movements. Another five minutes sighting. At 8:40 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with two coys on Specimen Ridge from Crystal Pullout. Today they remained in sight for most of the day coming closer to the road for good viewing. At 11:20 a.m. two black adult wolves returned with food and were intercepted by the puppies (the count is now five grays and three blacks - my large count was only three black and three grays). The puppies were down by the Sage Den for good viewing from anywhere at Slough Creek. At 2:20 p.m. we had a black bear in No Bear Meadow viewed from the Institute. At 3:20 p.m. a two-minute sighting of the grizzly sow with two coys on the Middle Ridge running over the top of the ridge viewed from Slough Creek. At 3:30 p.m. the reason for the running of the grizzly family showed up in a large boar slowing climbing the hill and going over. The boar took a different route so hope the two never met. At 5:00 p.m. we had a cinnamon black bear grazing on Finger # 2 on Norris. At 5:45 p.m. we watched two bears (probably black bears) in a clearing this side of A-Z Meadow viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 6:25 p.m. a black un-collared wolf was seen in the old Druid Rendezvous area moving to the east. At 6:35 p.m. I found a small grizzly north of the Moosehead northeast of Trashcan Pullout.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Jeremy S, Taylor B, Dan and Laurie L, Wendy B, Chloe F and Becky C. From Missouri: Frank H. From Mississippi: Gary G. From Idaho: Ray L and Kathy. From Utah: Jerry and Julia C. From New York: Rick and Maureen B. From Colorado: Mark and Carol R, Dale and Faye B. From Illinois: Sandy H. And from California: Kathie L. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Washington: John G, Randi M, and John B. From Utah: Dave H. From Idaho: Marc H and Blake M. From Montana: Margaret L, Doug M, Mike and Kathy W, and Sarah W with mother and aunt. From Ohio: Jim and Twyla E. From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Missouri: Don and Carol L. From Wyoming: Richard and Rita R. From Kansas: Richard and Sandy B. And from Colorado: Rick and Tanner H. Others seen this report: From Montana: Cliff B, Brad B, Evan S, Jim H, Chris H, Bob L, Pete B, Grant J, Amy T, Carl S, Claire L, MacNeil L, Quinn H, and Emil M. From Mass: Ed S. From Arizona: David and Phyllis. From Vermont: John K. From Colorado: Jim and Bobbie F. From California: Mark M, Les W, and Cole W. And from Texas: Keith W.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park