Yellowstone National Park 2022 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

4th through 7th May 2022
Yellowstone National Park

~ May 2022 ~

Wednesday - May 4th

33 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a nice 60 degrees. One river otter seen at Picnic Pullout this morning which I missed but I saw him at Confluence. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 7:10 a.m. David O called with a grizzly near the mixed conifer aspen forest in Slough Creek. A big grizzly digging and moving slowly to the east. We went to the pullout just east of Long Pullout and had a great view of him. Later he traveled further to the east and eventually crossed the yellow grass meadow and out of sight. At 7:20 a.m. an uncollared black wolf seen south of straight-away pullout. At 8:20 a.m. John G found the two 3 1/2 old sub-adult grizzlies again in the Amethyst Bench area. They remained in sight most of the day. At 8:45 a.m. 1048M a Junction Butte black wolf seen moving east across Amethyst Bench. At 5;00 p.m. I found the Middle Ridge sow with two yearling cubs on the west side of Middle Ridge. They were digging and visible for a long time from Crystal Pullout. At 5:30 p.m. Tauni found a long grizzly digging about one half a mile east of the grizzly family but it never got close to the grizzly family.

Thursday - May 5th

33 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a nice 65 degrees. Today at least one wolf puppy was seen at the natal den in Slough Creek. At 6:05 a.m. I found a grizzly moving east high to the north between the pullouts of Dorothy's and Coyote. Then I noticed a large grizzly following the first grizzly. I assume a little pre-courting activity as the distance between the grizzlies was about 150 yards. A very short sighting. At 6:50 a.m. Sam and Ginny G called with a dark grizzly digging in the Lion Meadow. It soon moved uphill and disappeared into the Diagonal Forest in Slough Creek. At 7:30 a.m. we had a black wolf south of Old Road Pullout moving to the east. At 8:30 a.m. the two 3 1/2-year-old sub-adult grizzlies again near the Amethyst Bench and were again in view most of the day. At 8:50 a.m. five wolves moved east south of the Buffalo Ranch. All Junction Butte wolves today with two collared grays, one collared black, one black and gray uncollared wolves. At 10:50 a.m. I found a grizzly traveling near the Slough Creek den. It moved around the den and two black wolves escorted it out of the area. It moved through the Diagonal Forest then above the Horizontal Forest but then reversed his travel and spent a lot of time digging in front of the Horizontal Forest. At 12:10 p.m. 907F made a brief appearance coming out of her den visiting with one gray and one black wolf; she is denned in Crystal Drainage this year. At 1:10 p.m. the Middle Ridge sow was out again on Middle Ridge. Seen today from Lamar Canyon West for over two hours which included a 5–6-minute nursing of the cubs. At 2:00 p.m. while watching the grizzly family a large black bear moved east directly across the Lamar River viewed from Lamar Canyon West.

Friday - May 6th

40 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a nice 63 degrees. I had a cow moose on the north side of Round Prairie tonight. At 6:05 a.m. Kevin and I walked out to the southeast of Picnic Pullout. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. The park opened the road down to the Slough Creek Campground today, making it a lot nicer for the wolf watchers. There was a bison carcass from yesterday and we found a small grizzly near the carcass. It did not stay long and heading up hill and out of sight. A gray collared wolf then showed up and got a large piece of meat and headed to the west. At 6:40 a.m. Frank H called with a large dark grizzly digging in the clearing behind the Crystal Rock. Best viewed from the Slough Creek Restroom. At 7:45 a.m. Randi M found the Middle Ridge grizzly sow with two yearlings on Middle Ridge this time on the east flank viewed from Fisherman's Pullout. At 8:20 a.m. John G found the two 3 1/2 year-old grizzly sub-adults near Amethyst Bench. Again, in sight a lot of the day. At 9:25 a.m. Kevin M found a large grizzly going over the Divide Ridge (Salad Bowl) viewed from east of the Buffalo Ranch. Perhaps the largest grizzly I have seen this year. At 9:40 a.m. Doug M found a grizzly sow with one yearling cub on the # 3 finger on Norris Mountain. A brief sighting but nice to have grizzlies seen on the high clearings. At 3:10 p.m. Richard R found a large dark grizzly digging north of Fisherman's Pullout viewed from Crystal Pullout in Little America (four miles plus). At 5:45 p.m. a large dark brown, black bear was grazing in the tree line south of the Buffalo Ranch.

Saturday - May 7th

45 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 48 degrees. High winds in the morning to storms moving through the park and snowing tonight but not sticking yet. At 5:30 a.m. we could see the small colorful grizzly on the now spread-out bison carcass north of Picnic Pullout. The grizzly disappeared a little after daylight, so we moved on At 5:50 a.m. Richard R found a large dark grizzly digging on Amethyst Bench. The grizzly stayed around for a while until the bison herd feed its way. At 6:15 a.m. I found a grizzly digging south of Fisherman's Pullout best viewed from Coyote Overlook. It moved west and ran into a large black bear who quickly ran up hill and out of sight. At 7:40 a.m. Doug M (bear watcher) found a dark grizzly digging in the clearing south of Crystal 'Rock viewed from the Slough Creek rest room. At 8:55 a.m. I found the two 3 1/2-year-old grizzly sub adults west of Amethyst Drainage. They wanted to go digging in a nice yellow grass low spot, but a large herd of cow and calf bison were moving that way. A nice standoff until the two grizzlies decided to go around the bison herd. At 10:45 a.m. we had a large black bear in the tree line south of the Buffalo Ranch. At 12:40 p.m. MacNeil L called with a grizzly in the willows south of Confluence East Pullout. Apparently, the small colorful grizzly came down the hill from the north and swam the Lamar River before I arrived. Went I arrived the small grizzly had found a large leg bone to play with. Laying on its back the grizzly played with the bone with his feet up in the air. After a few minutes, the grizzly traveled on his way and out of sight.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Taylor B, Jeremy S, Reve and Susan C, Melba C, Mike, John and Carolyn G, and Janice and Cindy H. From Missouri: Frank H. From Utah: Paul H, Julie and Josie A, Denny and Pam D, and Chris and Brenda C. From Michigan: Dan and Susan W. From South Dakota: Sam and Ginny G. From Oklahoma: Robert and Pam W. From Colorado: Karol B. From Wisconsin: John and Marie E. From North Dakota: Becky B. From Washington: David and Stephanie O. And From California: Bill and Karen M. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Washington: John G, Randi M, and Steve L. From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Montana: Doug M, Shari S, Scott M, and Linda K. From Utah: Dean and Jeri D and Kevin and Rosie N. From Missouri: Fred and Linda. From Colorado: Rick and Len H. and Dennis R. From Florida Ken C. From Georgia: Chris C. From Virginia: Big John. From Idaho: Emmett W, Ned and Teresa, and Roger and Lynda S.; From Wyoming: Richard and Rita R. And From Oklahoma: Paul S. And from Ohio: Jim and Twyla E Others seen this report: From Montana: Cliff B, Bob L, Audra C, Evan S, MacNeil L, Jim H, Grant J, and Linda C. From Arizona: David and Phyllis. From Indiana: Jeff and Terry B. From Iowa: Bob A, and Steve S. From Wyoming: Kevin M. From Florida: Mark L. From Vermont: John K. And From Massachusetts: Ed S.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park