Yellowstone National Park 2021 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

02 through 05 June 2021
Yellowstone National Park

~ June 2021 ~

Wednesday - June 2nd

43 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to a warm 83 degrees. I did a 3.5-mile hike up past Lost Lake today with friends. I had a big bull moose with black velvet antlers right off the road tonight near Soda Butte Picnic Area. At 5:45 a.m. I found a small colorful grizzly on the Snow Cornice area viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 6:00 a.m. Randi M had a black wolf in the Lamar River corridor viewed from Footbridge Pullout. A 6:15 a.m. Hayden G had a cinnamon black bear on the # 1 finger on Norris. At 6:20 a.m. Hayden G found a black bear on # 3 finger on Norris. At 7:05 a.m. a black wolf was seen on Specimen Ridge. At 7:30 a.m. Richard and Rita found a medium sized colorful grizzly on the Snow Cornice. At 8:30 a.m. the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year (coys) with good viewing on Specimen Ridge from Long Pullout area. The grizzly family was in view again tonight at 5:15 p.m. At 1:30 p.m. a cinnamon black bear created a bear jam north in the Lamar Canyon.

Thursday - June 3rd

39 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to a hot 86 degrees. At 5:05 a.m. we heard howling and found three black and one gray wolf this side of the Lamar River viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 5:15 a.m. Randi M found a nice sized dark grizzly digging southwest of Fisherman's Pullout viewed d from Coyote Overlook. At 5:30 a.m. we had a black bear in view in the Bowl from the Institute. At 5:50 a.m. I found a courting pair of grizzlies in Calfee viewed from the Confluence. In sight for a little while but then the light got worse. At 5:55 a.m. I found a grizzly sow with two coys on K-3 Meadow viewed from the Confluence. We moved to Footbridge and had great light and viewing for well over an hour. At 6:50 a.m. we had a black wolf southwest of Footbridge moving west. At 7:30 a.m. I found a big grizzly on Middle Ridge going uphill viewed from Coyote. The grizzly soon went over the hill but was seen from the Slough Creek area. At 8:25 a.m. a black wolf viewed to the south moving west from Long Pullout. At 9:00 a.m. another black wolf from Long Pullout moving east. At 9:50 a.m. a black wolf northwest of Coyote Overlook going west. At 3:00 p.m. I found the two 2 1/2-year-old sub adults in a clearing below the Snow Cornice viewed from Footbridge Pullout. Found 4:30 p.m. thru 5:30 p.m. I watched all eight (five gray and three black) puppies plus three black and one gray adult near the Slough Creek den.

Friday - June 4th

43 degrees this morning warming up to 82 degrees. A mid afternoon rain shower cooled the temperatures. At 5:15 a.m. Rick M called from Picnic Pullout with a grizzly moving south towards the large fan. We were viewing from Coyote and watched it from there at it moved into the tree line. At 5:30 a.m. Richard and Rita R found the grizzly sow with two coys back on K-3 Meadow this time low and east in the clearing. Good viewing for about forty-five minutes. At 5:35 a.m. Richard and Rita found a grizzly on K Meadow. It disappeared for a while but turned out to be two grizzlies - a courting pair. Good views on and off for an hour and a half. At 7:40 a.m. the grizzly sow with two coys again seen on Specimen Ridge viewed from Long Pullout. This afternoon Randi M found them on the east side of Specimen with good viewing from Lamar Canyon West. At 9:30 a.m. I found the two 2 1/2-year-old sub adults in the same meadow as yesterday under the Snow Cornice. At 10:00 a.m. while watching the courting pair on K Meadow Taylor B noticed a gray wolf near the courting pair of K Meadow.

Saturday - June 5th

42 degrees this morning warming up to 84 degrees with strong afternoon winds. At 5:15 a.m. John G found the Middle Ridge sow with two coys south on Specimen Ridge viewed from Coyote Overlook. We have not seen this family in almost two weeks. Evan S and Wayne K watched the sow on a fresh elk carcass this morning. At 5:50 a.m. I found the Specimen grizzly sow with two coys on the west end of Specimen Ridge viewed from the west end of Straightaway. The sow was again digging while the cubs split their time between playing and digging. At 6:30 a.m. the two 2 1/2-year-old Slough Creek sub adults were on an elk calf carcass north of Coyote Overlook viewed best from two hundred yards to the west. When I got there, I saw birds and eventually the two young grizzlies. Soon three wolves came into the area (two blacks and one gray). Not sure if the grizzlies caught the calf or the wolves but assume the grizzly pair caught it. The sub adults moved away just before the arrival of the wolves, but we could see that the wolves were getting pieces of meat. Later at 8:00 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. we found the sub adults north between the pullouts of Dorothy's and Coyote. At 8:50 a.m. Richard and Rita R found a courting pair of grizzlies in the Bowl from the Institute. Good viewing for fifteen minutes or so. Actually, John G and Randi M found the courting pair earlier on the sliver of Ski Slope. At 9:10 a.m. I spotted a black bear with one black yearling cub in the tree line south of the Institute. At 9:25 a.m. I had a brief sighting of a medium sized colorful grizzly northwest of YES Pullout moving west. At 9:40 p.m. Randi M found a 2 1/2-year-old sub adult in a clearing below the Snow Cornice viewed from Footbridge. We watched for a long time for the second sub adult and assumed it was just behind trees, since the one we saw was in the same clearing as we watched them in the last two days. At 11:40 a.m. Rita R found a cinnamon black bear low in K-2 Clearing from Footbridge Pullout. At 3:00 p.m. I had a black wolf near the Slough Creek den.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Reve and Susan C, Janice and Cindy H, Dan and Laurie L, Taylor B and Jeremy S. From Mississippi: Gary G. From California: Kathie L. From New York: Rick and Maureen B. From Florida: Ray and Lynn M, and Andy and Missy O. From Oregon: Bruce and Kelly H. From Washington: Patrick J. From Utah: Paul and Ryan H. And From Vermont: Joann H. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Washington: John G and Randi M. From Wyoming: Richard and Rita R. From Idaho: Jennings and Carma S. From Utah: Kevin and Pam and Doug and Hayden G. From Illinois: Mike G, and Wayne K. From Colorado: Rick and Tanner H. From Missouri: Don and Carol L. And from Oklahoma: Shaun and Regina W. Others seen this report: From Montana: Emil M, Claire L, Audra C, Chris H, Evan S, Will S and Cliff B. From Vermont: John K and Beth. From Mass: Ed S. And from Arizona: David and Phyllis.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park