Yellowstone National Park 2022 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

24th through 27th May 2022
Yellowstone National Park

~ May 2022 ~

Tuesday - May 24th

30 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 54 degrees. I had a moose in downtown Silver Gate today. I viewed my first mountain goat kid (this years) north of the Buffalo Ranch today. I also saw two bull moose at Lower Baronette Pullout tonight. At 5:25 a.m. Randi M found a medium sized colorful grizzly on Amethyst Bench. Later it moved up through Ski Slope and out of sight. At 5:45 a.m. Kevin M found a grizzly in the tree line south of Hubbard Hill. At 6:10 a.m. a uncollared black wolf approached the grizzly bear now south of Picnic Pullout. At 6:20 a.m. Grant J found the Mount Norris grizzly sow with two two-year-old cubs north just pasted Footbridge Pullout. Really close digging in a green meadow. They were around most of the day and sometime crossed the road to the south. At 6:30 a.m. Gary G found a grizzly on Norris viewed from Trashcan Pullout. At 6:35 a.m. Gary G found a small colorful grizzly on the # 3 finger on Norris, in and out of sight most of the day. At 6:50 a.m. Richard and Rita R found the two 3 1/2-year-old grizzly sub adults on Amethyst Bench. They also were in and out of sight most of the day. At 8:10 a.m. the Iowa Boys found the Junction Butte grizzly sow with two either one or two-year-old cubs high southeast from Slough Creek. Later they crossed to Lamar Valley and were seen from Coyote Overlook in the evening. At 9:00 a.m. Richard and Rita R found the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year (coys) on the #5 finger on Norris best viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 11:15 a.m. Bruce P found the grizzly sow with three coys in the same exact place as the day before east of Ski Slope viewed from Picnic Pullout. At 11:45 a.m. we had a black yearling wolf south of Picnic Pullout moving west. At 6:40 p.m. a black wolf chewing on something in the river corridor south of Hubbard Hill. At 7:20 p.m. we had a large grizzly across the river corridor viewed Southwest from Footbridge Pullout. At 7:40 p.m. we had a large cinnamon black bear southwest of Trout Lake. At 7:50 p.m. a large black bear crossed to the north near Thunderer Pullout. At 8:30 p.m. I had a large black bear off road near the NE Entrance.

Wednesday - May 25th

29 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a warm 67 degrees. At 6:00 a.m. Gary G had a large grizzly moving in the tree line east of Chalcedony Fan. At 6:30 a.m. Gary G found the two 3 1/2-year-old grizzly sub adults in the big clearing south of the east end of Jasper Bench. At 8:15 a.m. the grizzly sow with two coys were again in the #5 finger on Norris today best viewed from near Soda Butte East Pullout. At 8:40 a.m. we had a small colorful grizzly on the # 2 finger on Norris. At 9:00 a.m. Margaret L found the grizzly sow with three coys again east of Ski Slope digging in a bare dirt, a nice spot by Margaret. At 1:00 p.m. Rita R found the Junction Butte grizzly sow with two one or two-year-old cubs southeast of Slough Creek in a small clearing. Later we had a better view when they moved south. At 2:35 p.m. a brief sighting of a grizzly sow with two yearlings in K-2 Meadow. At 2:50 p.m. Richard and Rita found a small colorful grizzly on finger # 3 (note the other grizzly was still in view on # 2 finger). At 3:55 p.m. I found the Mount Norris grizzly sow with two two-year-old cubs northwest of Footbridge Pullout. Later we had a huge bear jam as she crossed the road to the south and remained in view until dark.

Thursday - May 26th

33 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to a warm 72 degrees. I had a badger down the Slough Creek Campground Road near the gravel pullout today. I also had a great view of the golden eagle nest viewed from the gravel pullout down the Slough Creek Campground Road. At 5:10 a.m. John G found two dark objects northwest of Coyote Overlook. It turned out to be a pair of courting grizzlies with the little one (the sow) leading the larger boar. They eventually went above the rock formation north of Fisherman's Pullout and out of sight. At 6:00 a.m. Margaret L had the Mount Norris grizzly sow with two two-year-old cubs west of Hitching Post Pullout. They were out of sight when I arrived, so I guessed Footbridge Pullout. They were in the willows 150 yards away with a gray collared wolf. The wolf was identified as 1228F who with her black male companion are trying to start a pack around the Round Prairie area. A chance meeting with no carcass or anything. The grizzly family charged the wolf who moved out of sight. The grizzlies continued to dig in the river corridor for about thirty minutes. At 6:35 a.m. John G found a large grizzly digging north and west of Picnic Pullout. At 7:30 a.m. I found a grizzly digging in Secret Passage viewed from Coyote Overlook. For about the third time in the last week the grizzly moved out of sight before my bear watching friends got to my location. At 7:45 a.m. Chris H called with the grizzly sow with three coys digging on Ski Slope. Good viewing from the Buffalo Ranch, or Dorothy's Pullout or Coyote Overlook. At 8:15 a.m. I watched three black and one gray wolf bedded near the Crystal den sight viewed from Crystal Pullout. At 8:45 a.m. we had a large grizzly digging in the Slough Bowl northeast of the Slough Creek restroom. Around 10:00 a.m. Randi M got a brief view of the Junction Butte grizzly sow with two either one or two-year-old cubs south from Lamar Canyon West pullout. Later she found them in the big meadow south of Crystal Rock, a good and long view of them today. At 10:20 a.m. John G found the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year near the mixed conifer aspen forest in Slough Creek. We are calling this family the Boulder family since Gary G and Mike W had them yesterday south of Boulder Pullout. At 11:20 a.m. Randi M found the small colorful grizzly on # 2 finger on Norris viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 11:40 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow we are calling the Mount Norris (this family has two coys, the other Mount Norris family has two two-year-old cubs) with two coys on the # 4 finger on Norris. Again, today the best view was from Footbridge Pullout. At 12:10 p.m. I found a black bear family on K-2 Meadow consisting of a cinnamon sow and one black and one cinnamon yearling cubs. At 12:00 p.m. Randi M found another black bear family on K-2 this one with a light cinnamon sow and two black bear yearling cubs. At 12:50 p.m. Randi M found a small colorful grizzly on # 3 finger on Norris (note the other grizzly on # 2 finger in sight at the same time). At 4:45 p.m. a black bear sow with one cinnamon and one black yearling cub east of the gravel pit down the Slough Creek Campground Road. At 5:00 p.m. we had a black adult wolf and one large black pup and one small black pup (the den at Slough now has two sets of pups, one larger than the other). Interestingly over the last few days one of the mother wolves at the Slough Creek den has been moving a majority of the pups to the Crystal den area. She even uses the Lamar Bridge to avoid swimming the cold Lamar River.

Friday - May 27th

46 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 69 degrees out in the park. Both the Beartooth Highway and Dunraven Pass opened today, although a stormy weekend is scheduled, and they plan to close the Beartooth Highway at 5:00 p.m. this evening because of expected snow. At 5:30 a.m. Terri W found the two 3 1/2-year-old grizzly sub adults in the clearing behind and south of the east end of Jasper Bench, they were in sight a lot of the day. At 6:00 a.m. Mike W found a courting pair of grizzlies on K Meadow viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 6:20 a.m. Gary G found a small colorful grizzly on the #2 finger of Norris. At 6:30 a.m. I found a medium sized colorful grizzly digging on Calfee viewed from the Confluence. At 6:40 a.m. I found two grizzlies high on Norris viewed from the Confluence. The larger one was bedded and the smaller one appeared to be digging. The light was poor as small storms were moving through the area, so I was really glad that Gary G found them this afternoon in the same place of Norris. It was a courting pair of grizzlies with the smaller one much lighter and colorful compared to the boar. At 6:40 a.m. Terri W was trying to find the courting pair and unexpectedly found a large grizzly walking to the west on Calfee. Then the storm moved in, and the visibility dropped. At 8:45 a.m. Reve and Susan C called with a grizzly sow with cubs in the yellow grass meadow in Slough Creek. When I arrived, the family had moved up the hill and out of sight and the weather had made viewing the area where they disappeared impossible. Fortunately, they reappeared to the west, and we had a great view. The family was a grizzly sow with two yearlings. Not sure who this family was. Last spring, we did have a grizzly family in Slough Creek on three different days with two coys. Now I think this family was the Slough Creek family. At 9:00 a.m. I found a black adult wolf standing on the Slough Creek den. At 10:00 a.m. I found the grizzly sow (Specimen Ridge sow) low on Ski Slope viewed from the Buffalo Ranch, they were in view several times throughout the day. At 11:30 a.m. MacNeil L had the Mount Norris grizzly family with two coys on # 3 finger on Norris, this family was out in view several times later too. At 4:00 p.m. John G found a grizzly with two yearlings on Specimen Ridge the west flank viewed to the south from Boulder Pullout. They looked a lot like the sow with two yearlings we guessed might be the Slough Creek family. My opinion is that this family is not the Slough Creek family but the Specimen Ridge family who we watched over thirty different days last year. (Note: We have two grizzly families named Specimen Ridge - 1 has two two-year-old cubs and this one 2 - has two yearlings. At 5:05 p.m. I found a grizzly above Fisherman's Pullout north in Lamar Valley viewed from Long Pullout in Little America. A long spot, several miles but the afternoon light was behind me, and it could be easily seen.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Dan and Laurie L, Wendy B, Doug M, Rick M, Reve and Susan C, Melba C, Jeremy S, Chloe F, Becky C, Taylor B, and Marlene F. From New York: Rick and Maureen B. From Missouri: Frank H. From California: Kathie L. From Colorado: Kristina G. From South Dakota: Sam and Ginny G. From Mississippi: Chuck and Wynell M. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Washington: John G and Randi M. From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Colorado: Rick and Len H, Kim H, Rick and Tanner H, and Dennis R. From Wyoming: Richard and Rita R and Terri W. From Idaho: Blake and Stacey (eagle eye). From Illinois: Frank and Cole G and Chicago Bob and Margaret P. From Montana: Mike and Kathy W, Doug M, Margaret L, and Linda K. From Mississippi: Gary G. From Tennessee: Mike and Donna F. From Kansas: Richard and Sandy B. From Utah: Kevin and Rosie N. Others seen this report: From Montana: Grant J, Audra C, Cliff B, Quinn H, Chris H, MacNeil L, Evan S and Cara M. From Wyoming: Kevin M, and Matt P. From Idaho: Adam B and Ray T. From Vermont: John K and Beth. From Colorado: Jim and Bobbie F. And from Arizona: David and Phyllis.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park