Yellowstone National Park 2021 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
3rd thru 10th October 2021
Yellowstone National Park
~ October 2021 ~
Sunday - October 3rd
Sunday October 3rd. I camped in Silver Gate the first three nights of the trip and one night north of Gardiner. 28 degrees this morning at Silver Gate but only 24 degrees in Lamar Valley this morning warming up to 73 degrees. At 7:10 a.m. we had five gray and two black wolves moving west south of Hubbard Hill. At 9:00 a.m. a black puppy was seen milling around in the old Druid Rendezvous area. Only two black and two gray wolves were in view the rendezvous area this evening.
Monday - October 4th
28 degrees in Silver Gate this morning but only 24 degrees in Lamar Valley warming up to 72 degrees. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 8:00 a.m. nineteen wolves seen in the rendezvous area this morning. Most were there all day, and I saw at least fifteen tonight in the rendezvous area.
Tuesday - October 5th
28 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a hot 80 degrees this afternoon in Gardiner. At 7:15 a.m. Margaret L found a large, tall grizzly in the meadow behind the eastern part of Jasper Bench moving to the south (apparently it had crossed the road before daylight). Margaret saw the grizzly again on Square Meadow still heading south and east. At 9:00 a.m. Kim and Joyce C found the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with two cubs of the year the Bowl from the Institute. Good viewing this morning for well over an hour. I spent the evening north of Gardiner. The grizzly watching is still very good.
Wednesday - October 6th
Wednesday October 6th. 47 degrees north of the park this morning warming up to 66 degrees this afternoon in Lamar Valley. I had a moose in Silver Gate this evening. At 9:00 a.m. I spotted 1154F of the Rescue Creek pack near Blacktail Ponds. From 11:30 a.m. thru 2:20 p.m. we watched the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with two cubs of the year low in Bear Meadow viewed from the Institute. At 6:15 p.m. a large dark grizzly was seen east of Chalcedony Fan viewed from Trashcan Pullout.
People Seen
People seen this report. Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Reve and Susan C, Doug M, Rick M, Janice and Cindy H, and Taylor B. From Utah: Paul H. From California: Kathie L. From Iowa: Jim and Joellyn B. From Pennsylvania: Jack D and Dusty. From Colorado: Dale and Fay B, Mark and Carol H, and Steve M. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette J. From Oregon: Bruce and Kelly H, and David and Stephanie O. From Wyoming: Larry and Linda H, and Ted K. And from Missouri: Frank H. Bear watchers seen this report: From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Montana: Margaret L. From Oklahoma: Paul S and his friend Mark P. From Missouri: Fred and Linda. From Utah: Bill and Chris M. From Idaho: Kim and Joyce C. And From Arizona: Steve J. Others seen this report: From Montana: George B, Chris H, Grant J, Cliff B, Cara M, Evan S, and Jort V.
Thursday - October 7th
I camped all four days of this report at Silver Gate. 42 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 57 degrees. The Beartooth Highway closed for the season today. At 7:30 a.m. we watched a grizzly digging in the Bowl viewed from the Institute. The grizzly remained in sight for almost an hour this morning. At 12:40 p.m. Kim and I spotted the grizzly digging again north of Picnic Pullout. This grizzly was in and out of sight for well over an hour. The meadow it was digging in has a lot of trees and it simply moved out of sight from time to time. At 4:00 p.m. we watched a grizzly digging on Amethyst Bench. It was in sight for over an hour, often looking towards the road with a lot of folks watching it before it moved back into the trees and out of sight. At 6:25 p.m. I watched a black bear moving north of the Institute.
Friday - October 8th
37 degrees with light rain this morning warming up to 51 degrees with some low clouds mainly in the morning impairing visibility on the high ridges. At 7:00 a.m. we had a grizzly again digging on Amethyst Bench viewed from the Institute. The grizzly stayed out longer this morning not leaving until about 8:30 a.m. Then we watched it again just above Square Meadow viewed also from the Institute. At 10:45 a.m. I found the black female wolf with the slight limp on the skyline on Middle Ridge viewed from the Slough Creek restroom. Earlier she was seen near the Slough Creek Road then later by others crossing the road north to south. At 12:40 p.m. we had the grizzly again digging in the same meadow as yesterday north of Picnic Pullout. At 6:10 p.m. I found the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with two cubs of the year digging high in the Bowl from the Institute. At 6:30 a.m. the Junction Butte wolf pack returned from a two-day trip out of sight from the roads. I counted thirteen wolves and others counted eighteen of the twenty-four. Everyone hoped that they would return intact, as the Montana hunting season for the wolves is going on with the purpose of reducing the number of wolves in the state.
Saturday - October 9th
40 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 49 degrees with rain and most of the high ridges were covered with low clouds. At 7:00 a.m. we were treated to all 24 Junction Butte wolves traveling west across Amethyst Bench. That means all the Junction Butte pack were back in the safety of Yellowstone. At 1:50 p.m. the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with two cubs of the year back in view in the Bowl from the Institute. They were in sight until dark tonight still digging in the Bowl. At 2:00 p.m. I found a cinnamon black bear south of the road in Lamar Canyon. At 3:25 p.m. we had the grizzly again digging in the meadow north of Picnic Pullout.
Sunday - October 10th
37 degrees this morning in Silver Gate but a chilly 30 degrees in Lamar Valley warming up to 47 degrees. I had a fox in the road coming into the park this morning. At 8:30 a.m. I found a medium sized colorful grizzly digging in K-3 Meadow viewed from the Footbridge Pullout. That is the first grizzly I viewed in the area of K-3, K-2, and K Meadow on this trip. Usually on other years I would see more grizzlies there. At 9:15 a.m. I found the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with two cubs of the year again in the Bowl viewed better this morning from Midpoint Pullout. They were still in view when I headed home today around noon. At 10:00 a.m. Bruce P found a large dark grizzly with a Yellowstone Stripe high on the Snow Cornice area. Again, the first grizzly seen there in the last two and one-half weeks - other years I would find more up there.
I did head home today as a snowstorm was expected tomorrow with five inches or so in Gardiner.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Becky C and Chloe F, Jeremy S, Taylor B, Doug M, and Joe K. From California: Kathie L. From Utah: Paul H, Marlene F and her friend Karen B. From Missouri: Frank H. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette J. From Wyoming: Larry and Linda H. From Colorado: Dale and Fay B, Mark and Carol R, and Steve and Robin M. From Iowa: Jim and Joellyn B. From Oregon: Bruce and Kelly H, and David and Stephanie O. And from Pennsylvania: Dusty. Bear Watchers: From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Idaho: Kim and Joyce C, and Roger and Lynda S. From Montana: John and Carolyn G. From Washington: Hank L. From Arizona: Steve J. And from Ohio: Jim and Twyla E. Others seen this report: From Montana: Chris H, Evan S, Josh F, Grant J, and Emil M. From Wyoming or Utah: Dick P.
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Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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