Yellowstone National Park 2022 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

6th through 9th April 2022
Yellowstone National Park

~ April 2022 ~

Wednesday - April 6th

29 degrees in Gardiner but 19 degrees at Hellroaring this morning warming up to 44 degrees. At 7:00 a.m. two black and two gray wolves of the Rescue Creek Pack were seen south of Petrified Tree Pullout. The four wolves were howling and looking across the road to the north. Kevin M later said he had 1154F the alpha female cross the road south to north close to the Petrified Tree entrance road. My guess is that eight of the twelve crossed the road and the last four (the two blacks and two grays) did not want to cross the road. Later the four moved west and were seen near Floating Island Lake. At 10:50 a.m. I arrived late to the Junction Butte wolves moving east in the Soda Butte Valley on the north side of the road. I only got to see one black wolf near Soda Butte East Pullout. Apparently all fifteen were seen chasing elk before I arrived on the scene. The grizzly at Blacktail Pond was a problem for me today. Every morning I arrive at the ponds before daylight. This morning I glassed all over the ponds and decided just after daylight to move on. I later learned the grizzly was bedded over a small hill behind to carcass. I dashed back to the ponds, but the grizzly had come, fed, and moved out of sight over the hill to the north. Tonight, I passed the ponds around 7:00 p.m. with no grizzly in sight. I got back to Gardiner when Bruce P called telling me the grizzly had come back to the carcass frozen in the ice. I headed back and had fifteen minutes of watching him bedded on the carcass before darkness fell.

Thursday - April 7th

24 degrees in Gardiner this morning warming up to a nice 61 degrees. I viewed a vulture flying above the Institute this morning. Still a rare, but less so sighting. At 5:55 a.m. the grizzly was again or still on the carcass on Blacktail Ponds. I passed by there at 7:20 p.m. on my way back to Gardiner and he had returned and was again on the carcass. This bison carcass fell in or died in the pond last October-probably why it has provided such long viewing-the first couple of days we watched the carcass most of it was still frozen in the pond with only the top visible. At 6:55 a.m. Evan S found a grizzly moving north pass the mixed conifer aspen forest in Slough Creek. It was heading for what is called Junction Pass and it took him about fifteen minutes to get there. Near the top of the pass a large herd of bison delayed his exit for five or so minutes. At 7:05 a.m. I found a large grizzly east of the Horizontal Forest in Slough Creek. He found a set of three trees together and had a nice back rub before finding a large boulder where it bedded for five to ten minutes before moving out of sight. Later he was found by Evan S above the crescent rock east of the Slough Creek Den area still heading north. At 6:40 p.m. Michael S had the grizzly back in sight lightly digging and turning rocks for dinner. At 9:05 a.m. I watched a black wolf close to the natal den at Slough Creek. It was the alpha female who Peter D from Switzerland watched go into the natal den for a long time (no one saw her leave the area). Two other Junction Butte wolves, 907F and 1048M were bedded low in the Lion Meadow who could not be seen from the road. At noon I decided to walk down to Bob's Knob to see them. Six young adults came with me. The directions for Peter D made it easy to locate them bedded together. I was showing the young people the wolves when the fourth one was using the scope. I asked if she could be both the wolves when she answered there was more than two. Eight wolves had come back from the east and met up with 907F and 1048M. So, we now watched ten wolves. They moved to a bison herd which some of the wolves were interested in. But the majority of the wolves decided to bed down for a rest. Later they moved up and over a hill and out of sight. Over an hour of good watching.

Friday - April 8th

37 degrees this morning in Gardiner warming up to a beautiful 67 degrees. Two trumpeter swans in a pond below Bob's Knob today. I watched two new bison calves in Little America this morning, my first of the year. I also had my first unita ground squirrel at Dorothy's Pullout in Lamar Valley this morning, Spring must be here. At 6:05 am the grizzly was back on the carcass at Black Tail Ponds, and he was not alone. Eleven gray and three black wolves of 8 Mile Pack (I believe the entire pack) were with the grizzly. The grizzly decided to move away and came closer to the road swimming a large open pond providing a good show. It blew bubbles when his head was below the water. At 9:30 a.m. I joined Rick M at Wrecker watching the Junction Butte wolf pack bedded across the Lamar River. Our count was five blacks and one gray but guess most if not all the pack were around but not in sight.

Saturday - April 9th

A warm 48 degrees in Gardiner this morning warming up to only 44 degrees with a cold wind in the park. I watched a golden eagle on a carcass in Little America today. I started my morning at Black Tail Ponds well before daylight glassing for the grizzly. I left just before daylight having convinced myself that the grizzly was not there. I later learned that I was right that the grizzly was not there, but all fourteen 8 Mile wolves were bedded high above the ponds. At 11:10 a.m. I found a black bear bedded near the Fish Den on Garnett Hill. From 11:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. I watched a grizzly in Slough Creek that Margaret L had found. A large grizzly near the top of the drainage east of the Slough Creek Den. He was turning rocks and finding things to eat.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Jeremy S, Taylor B, Doug M, Joe K, and Reve and Susan C. From Oregon: David and Stephanie O and their son Riley. From California: Bill W. From Switzerland: Peter D. Bear Watchers seen this Report: From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Montana: Margaret L and Doug M. Others seen this report: From Montana: Linda C, Chris H, Grant J, MacNeil L, Bob L, Michael S, Evan S, Dan and Cindy H, Cliff B, Bonnie M, Ken S and Jim H. From Wyoming: Kevin M. And from The Netherlands: Jort V.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park